The Next Great Adventure
by EmLights
Summary: Harry, on the brink of death from the final battle, has been given a second chance by the Fates for a nice normal life. Only this normal life, with ninja, a new sibling, strange powers, and a side-effect leaving Harry five, could be anything BUT normal!
1. Chapter 1:The Beginning

There have been new additions to this story! All of the chapters are being reviewed for edits.

Please read and review, I love getting feedback.

Thank you!

-Emlights

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Harry Potter.

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The Next Great Adventure

"To the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure" – Albus Dumbledore (HPSS, Chapter 17)

Chapter 1: The Beginning

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Silence. Complete and utter silence enveloped Harry, as he lay spread-eagled on the bloodied ground. The grounds of Hogwarts reflected the devastation and intensity of the final battle that had just concluded, and only a few landmarks of the once great school stood proudly against the rubble.

The area he resided in at the moment was where only a few years before he had proudly held the Quidditch cup in his hands, celebrating his final win as Quidditch Captain. The memory of the win was fleeting but seeing his friends happy and cheering brought a painful smile to his face. Ron, Hermione, Ginny… he missed them all so much. None of them had made it to this final battle, so they did not experience the fall of the place they once all called home.

His mangled body lay perfectly camouflaged among the litter of dead corpses surrounding him, both friend and death eater alike. A stream of red blood trickled soundlessly past his bruised and battered right arm from a corpse he couldn't identify.

His newly acquired wand, a black elm taken off of a fallen death eater, lay splintered a few inches from his fingers. The wand had accepted him well enough, but was nothing like his own holly and phoenix feather wand. Lord Voldemort had gleefully snapped Harry's old wand after one of the many encounters the two had had over the years.

Harry slowly and painfully tilted his head, trying to glimpse the aftermath of the battle through the cracks in his glasses. Not far off his eyes filled with anguish as he saw the greasy hair of his former potions master, his body covered in lacerations. It looked as though the death eaters had taken great pleasure in torturing their traitor with a slow and very painful death.

The only upside were the multiple death eaters that Professor Snape had seemingly taken down with him.

_Hope the bastard got them good_, Harry thought proudly.

Severus Snape had been one of the few left of the Order after Voldemort's army had increased exponentially. With a venomously sweet tongue, Voldemort won supporters with promises of gold, land, and freedom from the Ministry of Magic. The rise of support for the Dark Lord's forces forced the Order to go into hiding as a whole. A new level of magical guerrilla warfare had begun right after.

And on top of all that, Voldemort had also unfortunately perfected the use of necromancy to add to his forces. Soulless, mindless corpses led the first wave of attacks that encompassed all of England.

_[Begin Flashback]_

_Very late on a cloudy summer night, Harry arrived outside the mansion rumored to be housing some high ranked Death Eaters. With Remus leading the way and Tonks and Bill Weasley accompanying them, Harry thought for sure their raid would be successful. _

_In the past few months, the Order had been effective by taking small numbers to raids, quickly dealing as much damage as possible, and hastily retreating. With their pride long out the window, survival had become the most important. 'Do what you can but live for another day' had suited their ragtag group as a kind of motto to live by._

"_Harry, what is this, your third raid this week?" Tonks muttered as they hid behind a cluster of trees, scanning the yard for wards. Harry looked away, his silence answer enough. Tonks placed a hand on his shoulder._

"_You haven't even healed properly from the last raid," she continued. "You need to take better care of yourself." Harry leaned gingerly on leg that took a nasty severing charm two nights before. Tonks healed it as best she could and stitched up the rest. The cuts were still oozing, and Harry had an inkling they might be infected. _

"_I'm fine." He glanced over at Bill who had begun to carefully break down the wards surrounding the mansion. _

"_We are just worried about you, pup," Remus said softly. "If something were to happen, Lily and James would never forgive me." Harry sighed and nodded._

"_I'll see if Flitwick needs any help with research." Tonks squeezed her husband's hand gratefully. _

"_Done," Bill announced quietly, wiping the sweat from his brow. "We have at least thirty minutes before they reactivate."_

_Remus took a step forward, the three of them falling behind in unison. _

"_Let's go."_

_The layout of the mansion was fairly simple. The kitchens were located on the posterior side of the building with a direct line to the entrance hall. Trespassing the grounds undetected and getting through the kitchens quickly was perceived as a blessing, but they should have known better. _

_Remus signaled them to halt. There was a light shinning through the cracks of the doorway in front of them. _

"_Wands ready," he whispered, and they silently prepared themselves. Bill held his fingers up, counted to three, and then they all broke through the door to find a horrifying sight. _

_Awaiting them in the large dining room were a dozen silhouettes, anticipating their arrival. _

_As they entered, the room revealed the audience of Moody, Ron, Hermione, and other wizards and witches of the light, all of whom were deceased. _

_Harry held down a scream and the hitch in Tonk's gasp indicated she was struggling as well. They all paused a second too long before the bodies of their loved ones began to attack. No magic was used, but the deceased launched themselves at the raiding party, with slashing hands and wailing screams._

"_A trap!" Remus screamed. "Retreat now!"_

_Harry had to blast away a screeching Hermione while Bill pried two of them off of Tonks with a banishing charm. With the order from Remus, Harry cast Fiendfyre at the room as they ran, whispering an apology to his dead friends as their bodies went up in flames._

_They did not stop running until the four arrived back at 12 Grimmauld Place. Tonks then proceeded to burst into tears and refused to let go of Remus, while Bill was nonresponsive for hours afterward. Harry hid in his room for two days before he was able to rejoin the war efforts. _

_The four escaped the mansion without any physical damage, but seeing the distorted faces of their family and friends would haunt their dreams for a long time after._

_[End Flashback]_

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After Voldemort's ceremony to bring back the dead, the Wizarding world officially went to hell. One by one, the Order dwindled down to excruciatingly low numbers. The Light still fought with everything they had, but it still wasn't enough to save their precious world.

And now Harry Potter, the Chosen One, the Boy-Who-Lived, was left out here on this cold, bloody field to die. Alone.

He _had_ done it though. The scorched parts of what was left of Voldemort's body were scattered randomly about twenty feet away from where Harry himself had fallen. He had finally killed the bastard, but who was left to rejoice? The Wizarding world had long since been destroyed and left in ruins.

He thought about all the people he had lost; his best friends, Ron and Hermione, the whole Weasley family, Neville, Luna, Sirius, Remus, Dumbledore, Hagrid, and countless others who had followed him until they met their untimely deaths. He felt much more than nineteen years old, and his body weary from the long battle.

A single tear fell, trickling into the pool of blood that had formed beneath him, though Harry could barely register the dampness through the ever-increasing coldness of his body.

His raspy voice spoke softly into the eerie silence. "I was supposed to be the hero and save them all. And I failed. Even with Voldemort gone, I still failed them."

His breath became ragged and painful, most likely due to the liquid filling up in his lungs. He closed his eyes, waiting for death to come and take him to his family and friends who were waiting for him on the other side.

He welcomed the approaching darkness.

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Harry saw a blinding light, floating serenely above him.

_This must be the end_, he thought, watching the light slowly approach him. He closed his eyes and basked in the sudden warmth. His worn and aching body suddenly felt rejuvenated, and he no longer felt the cold hard ground beneath him. It seemed almost as if he was being levitated.

Strangely enough, Harry's eyes snapped open to find that he was indeed suspended in the air. He panicked, flailing his body around, trying to figure out what was happening.

"Calm down, my child. Everything is alright." He froze as a disembodied voice projected through the white abyss that surrounded him.

Three indistinguishable forms appeared before him with nothing but a faint outline to show their figures. Harry gawked at them, speechless.

_I must be dying if my hallucinations are this unreal_, Harry thought. He blinked rapidly, trying to dispel the imaginary people from his vision.

"Harry Potter." He looked up at the middle figure that had spoken.

"You have led a difficult life, and this fault resides with us, The Fates, for sending that prophecy to the chosen seer. We placed you in the position as the world's savior and took away your chance at a normal life. We now wish to redeem ourselves and gift you with, as your Headmaster would say, your 'next great adventure.'"

"What do you mean?" Harry asked curiously. He figured that, even though this was just a dying hallucination, he might as well play along with his delusions.

"As you are on the brink of death, it is easy for us to send your body and soul to a different dimension. Think of it as a second chance to live the life you were deprived of."

"A different dimension? How is that possible?" Harry was more confused than ever. Even his hallucination was becoming just a bit farfetched for something his mind would have thought up.

He heard chuckling amongst the shadows. "We are The Fates. There are many things we can do that you mere humans cannot even begin to fathom."

The center figure leaned toward Harry slowly. "But there is no time for us to explain everything to you just yet. All you need to know is that for your selflessness and courageous acts, and for the defeat of a terrible dark lord, you have been blessed by The Fates. And furthermore, an old wizard has requested that you carry on his bloodline in your new life."

"Erm, I'm not quite sure I'm following…" but Harry was interrupted by faint laughter echoing from the three dark shapes.

"We are running out of time, and I am not yet finished," the center figure continued. "When you arrive at your new home, you most likely will not be able to understand the language. It takes time for the information you need to be assimilated by your mind, so be patient, as you will need the necessary information to blend in.

"Because of the influx of information, you may develop some temporary blank spots in your memory of your past life, but don't be alarmed. This is just so the emotions from these past memories will not consume your conscience as you are establishing yourself at your next destination. You have the choice, however, to leave your memories behind if you wish."

"I don't want to lose my memories! Ron, Hermione, my parents, I don't want to forget anyone!" Even though this was a hallucination created by his slowly dying mind, he couldn't help but feel his heart aching at the thought of losing the precious memories of his loved ones.

"Calm down, child. You will only have blank spots temporarily. If you wish to keep your memories, then they will stay with you. We do not want you to live in the past though. This gift of a new life has been bestowed on you; do not disregard this chance by staying in the past and not living life to it's fullest."

Harry just stared unblinkingly at the middle shadow. _This is completely impossible. No way that this is real. And yet, I couldn't help but start believing it…_ It was simply too bizarre for it to be something his own mind had made up.

"You should start believing this Harry James Potter, because I assure you this is all real. Now, as you are to become an heir to this wizard_, _you will see some changes in your magic. Also, the magic in this dimension is very different from what you are used to. You will see once you get there."

"Secondly, there will be another heir coming soon after you. Your magical sibling, if you will. But she had died early into the battle, so it will take us a little longer to get her to you."

_"A sibling?" _Harry echoed in frustration,_ "_How is that possible? A magical sibling—what does that even mean? I don't understand, you have to tell me something!" Harry did not like dealing with these so-called Fates. Instead of answering his questions, they were only adding to his confusion.

"We believe in learning through experience," one of the figures stated smugly. "But we will give you just a little help before you go." Without further warning, the figure rushed toward Harry with frightening speed and thrust a clouded hand straight through Harry's skull.

Too stunned to move, Harry was instantly accosted by foreign symbols and sounds spinning rapidly through his mind.

"There will also be a small side effect from travelling to a different dimension while you are still alive. You'll discover it soon enough. Hope you are ready."

Before Harry could blink, he was pushed firmly by something and started plummeting through an endless sea of white clouds.

Harry couldn't answer as he plunged further away from the dark figures above him; his vision was starting to fade and his consciousness with it.

Before he blacked out completely, he heard a faint echo in his ears. "Good luck, Harry James Potter."

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As soon as Harry disappeared from their view, the three figures looked at each other in silence.

"Have we done the right thing?" One of them asked finally. "To tell him this is a second chance only…."

"What we have done is for the good of the world," another stated decisively. "He will understand once he realizes."

"That poor boy," the third said quietly, before the three fell into silence once again.

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Kakashi sat in a tree, hovering noiselessly over a campfire. The smell of alcohol encumbered his highly sensitive nose. The unsuspecting group below laughed boisterously, showing off their stolen prizes to one another. The sounds of sake glasses being clinked together echoed through the forest followed by drunken cheers.

"That's a damn great haul!" One of the men yelled happily, clapping another on the back.

"Too bad there weren't any women in the wagon," another added sadly and hiccupped. "We are always unlucky and hit the ones with all men. If we had some ladies here, we'd be having a lot more fun tonight." A few others nodded in agreement.

"There's that red light district in Tanigakure. We've enough money to have fun with lots of women now! And lots of sake!" More cheers erupted from the suggestion.

"There you go, Bakusui, always wanting to go to the red light district. This is why you are always broke!" The others laughed, and they all continued to drink merrily.

"Having fun over there, Goro?" One of them asked the man sitting on a log away from the group. The lookout growled and stabbed his sword into the ground, obviously cross about missing out on the drinking, and they all burst into laughter yet again.

Kakashi sighed inaudibly as the group then started drunkenly singing.

_These people are the worst bandits I've ever seen. _

A signal from his left spurred him into action. Kakashi leapt onto the closest target, the lookout a few feet from the camp, and cut his throat before the man could utter a sound.

A green blur shot through the remaining five targets, all of whom could not1 react fast enough to defend themselves.

Kakashi scanned the clearing, making sure all of the bandits were disposed of before approaching his comrade.

"Gai, this is the fifth group of bandits we've come across," he muttered, kicking a sake bottle out of his path. "Genins could have handled this easily. It's been two weeks and there haven't been any signs of foreign ninja anywhere in this forest like we thought."

Gai nodded. "Yes my esteemed rival. But we must continue our youthful pursuit! The Hokage would not have sent us if he did not think there was trouble."

Two weeks of scouting the forest between the border of the Land of Rivers and Konoha had led the two to finding absolutely nothing out of the ordinary. In the last few months, some of the children in the orphanage had gone missing, and the Hokage wanted to check the boundaries for any indication of enemy nin being involved.

Kakashi was beginning to think it was an inside job, but the notion of a Konoha citizen assisting in the kidnapping of children was unsettling. Orochimaru's actions a few years earlier seemed eerily similar. All of the children missing in both cases were descendants of shinobi, between the ages of four and eight.

After they had cleared the area of stolen items and hidden any trace of a campsite, the two prepared to leave.

"We still have two weeks left of this mission," Gai continued. "Let us do our best and even if we find nothing on enemy ninja, we can still valiantly rid this forest of the bandits and return the items that were unjustly stolen from the good merchants of Konoha!" Gai shot Kakashi a blinding smile and a thumbs up.

Kakashi ignored his teammate as he pulled out an orange book and began to read.

"Ah, Kakashi, always so hip and cool!" Gai said enthusiastically as they set off.

_Why had the Hokage sent them on this fool's errand? _Kakashi thought as he gracefully jumped from branch to branch, his face still hidden in the orange book. _Did he know something that they didn't? _

Regardless of the reason, Kakashi resigned himself to spending the next two weeks hunting drunken bandits and dealing with Gai's youthfulness.

Or so he thought.

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End Chapter 1

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Thank you for reading and please let me know what you think! Instructive criticism and positive reviews are very welcome.

-EmLights


	2. Chapter 2:The Forest

I am very surprised and happy at the response I received from the first chapter!

To some of the reviews:

- No, this will not be the type of fic that Harry is born into any type of clan. This chapter will explain where he ends up when he arrives in the Naruto world.

-I also kind of wanted the information Harry received from the Fates to be a little confusing, but I promise you will get answers soon!

-And Congrats to TheIcecreamGeek for guessing correctly!

And PLEASE keep on with the constructive criticism and positive reviews. They are wonderful and very helpful!

Thank you again to my wonderful Beta, Orodruin. You are seriously the best.

-EmLights

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Harry Potter.

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The Next Great Adventure

"To the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure" – Albus Dumbledore (HPSS, Chapter 17)

Chapter 2: The Forest

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_[Begin Flashback]_

_"Sweetie, you can't come with me this time," the man stated, sliding his wand into his arm holster hastily. "This battle is going to be extremely dangerous, and you aren't ready. You are already hurt from the last raid, and you need a healer to take a look at that leg before you put yourself back into the fray. Your wand also has been damaged, and you need a replacement."_

_"Dad, I'm supposed to be out there though," she began slowly, ignoring the exasperated look her father gave her. "The fata told me. They said it was very important."_

_Her father sighed. Having a stubborn sixteen-year-old daughter was difficult, especially one as special as his. He took a deep breath to calm himself and turned to face his daughter once more. "I can already tell that whatever I say to you will be futile." The blank stare he received was confirmation enough. He walked over to an old cabinet and took out an old wand, carrying it lovingly to his daughter._

_"This wand… this was your mother's. You are so much like her; I have no doubt it will work well for you. With this, you'll have your mother's protection out there if I'm not able to help. This wand is precious to me, so I am expecting you to bring this back to me. Please, don't do anything too reckless."_

_She put her own wand in the holster at her ankles, and clasped her mother's wand gently in her palm and pulled her father into a hug. "This is a precious gift indeed. Don't worry, I'll be back before the next issue is published."_

_"That's my girl," her father said and kissed her forehead._

_::::_

_::::_

_Hours before the battle ended, she found her next, and last, opponent. Spells were fired rapidly as she danced around the death eater. Her unique dodging, though it looked more like a strange jig, helped her avoid most of the curses send her way. She on the other hand caught him with an odd string of jelly legs, the tickling curse, and a confusion jinx, which caused him to send a cutting curse at his own legs instead of hers._

_He growled angrily and began firing curses with gusto. An injury to her leg caused her to falter enough for sectumsempra to hit her in her left forearm. A discarded body caused her to lose her footing long enough for the death eater to disarm her. She struggled to stand, her left arm hanging lifelessly against her side seeping blood, and her mother's wand lay ten feet to her left._

_The man laughed in her face, as she stood wandless in front of him. "You put up a good fight little girl, but in the end, the Dark Lord's followers will always triumph."_

_Without hesitation, she pulled out her own wand quickly and cast a spell, which promptly blew up not only her but also her attacker. The next thing she saw was a great white light._

_"So, you must be the fata," she said calmly into the abyss._

_[End flashback]_

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Harry woke up suddenly, lifting his heavy head off the ground. His body protested the movement, and he could feel painful bruises where he had apparently fallen. He stared incredulously at the canopy of leaves overhead. Trees the size of skyscrapers filled the entire area with roots protruding out of the ground the size of a basilisk. Birds fluttered by, diving in and out of the tree branches, and the sounds of large animals close by rustled through the forest.

This new and foreign terrain intimidated him, especially because he had no idea where he was or, more importantly, how to get back.

"Stupid Fates trying to meddle in my life again," he grumbled under his breath. The whistling in the wind sounded almost like chuckling, and he wanted to curse them even more.

Harry tried to pick himself up slowly but tripped on his own clothing. He faltered, wondering how that was possible, but when he looked down at the article in question, he saw his black cloak trailing far beyond where his body ended.

"What the..." He held his hands to his face now noticing how very small they looked in comparison to what he remembered. Frantically, Harry patted at his face, fingers searching for anything out of place, but he was unable to determine anything. "How is this possible?"

His mind started to become fuzzy as he tried to recall his last memory.

One single sentence echoed in his mind as if spoken right in front of him: _"There will also be a small side-effect from travelling to a different dimension while still alive. You'll find it out soon enough."_

"A side-effect of shrinking?" Harry fumed. _No one_ would take him seriously if he had shrunk to the size of a little kid. He then noticed that he no longer had his glasses on any longer. He blinked slowly, glancing at his surroundings, taking in all the clear details he was able to see.

_Well I guess one good thing about this is that it seems I will no longer need my glasses anymore._

He tried his best to fix his cloak to fit his new small form. He tied the ends rather hastily around his waist, ending with something that looked more like a toga than a cloak. It was the best he could do with what he had. So looking at the trees around him, Harry grimly set out, not even fully aware of what it was he was looking for and dearly wishing for some pants.

_If I encounter anyone, they are going to laugh their heads off when they see me wrapped up in a toga. How humiliating..._

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Harry fought his weariness as he trudged through the endless forest he had woken up in. The forest reminded him of the Forbidden Forest at Hogwarts, with the towering trees and odd animal noises in the background. He shuddered as he thought about his experiences back in the Forbidden Forest, with one very detailed memory of giant flesh-eating Acromantulas chasing him and Ron through the forest. _If I come across an army of Acromantula again, I don't know if I would be able to handle that!_

He sighed at the difficult situation he had been placed in. Yet again, he was forced into an unknown situation with no clue as to what he was supposed to do. Except this time he didn't have Ron and Hermione by his side.

He looked up at the sky and groaned. How many times in one day would it be okay to curse the Fates without something terrible happening?

He checked his magical core, trying to see if it had been affected by the transportation to… wherever he was. It felt fine, just a little weak and he gave a sigh of relief.

" I might have enough magic for my animagus form…." He stopped walking for a moment to carefully consider the risks. He didn't want there to be complications with his animagus form and his newly shortened body.

As he tried to remember the lessons Remus had taught to him about animagi, Harry noticed that he was having trouble recalling specifics in his memory. All he could remember were the basics of his training and the months it took to master his form.

"_I can't be forgetting already_!" Harry panicked. He didn't want to forget all of the people so dear to him. It would be devastating if he lost the memories from his life as Harry Potter.

"_Well, maybe not all of it, but I don't ever want to forget all the good times and all the wonderful people who stayed by my side until the end. I'd be empty inside." _

With that morbid thought in mind, he trudged onward into the dark canopy to find his "next great adventure".

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After wandering for over half a day with no indication of being any closer to finding his way out of the forest, Harry sat down, leaning his small frame against a large tree root. His body, aching and sore, couldn't take much more of this random roaming through the forest with no destination in sight. His throat was parched, and his stomach growled angrily at him. The only solace was that he had not encountered any of the strange beasts so far in the forest.

He shook his head in resolve. He'd have to risk his animagus form. He'd be able to smell if there were any people around and see what direction he should head in. Risking a few complications was worth it, if the alternative was staying lost in this immense forest with no one to come looking for him and becoming food for a hungry animal.

He shifted, and felt comforted by the familiar form. He had named his form 'Moony' for his old friend Remus who helped him achieve the form shortly before he died.

His animagus form had strong instincts and usually fought Harry for dominance. They had come to a compromise though, and Harry, even while he stayed in control of the form, was heavily influenced by the natural instincts and thoughts of the animal.

After he shifted, Harry was accosted with many unfamiliar scents, and a few familiar ones.

_Where the hell am I_? he wondered, trying to sift through the new scents. Moony wanted to go investigate all the new interesting smells, but Harry needed to find someone to help him get out of this forest. Toward the east, his nose detected a waft of cooked meat, cloth, and smoke. There was a human nearby.

He treaded softly toward what he now knew was a campsite. He sniffed again and noticed two distinct human scents. He crept closer, trying to get close enough to tell whether these humans were friendly or not, without being seen.

As he was closing in on the campsite, a flash of movement caught his attention in the trees, and he saw a glint of metal. He lowered himself, unconsciously growling at the unwelcome danger.

"It's only a wolf here, no missing nin for us to battle for now my rival!" The owner of the voice jumped down from the tree and gave Harry a grin. He was wearing a green jumpsuit and had thick, black eyebrows the size of large caterpillars. "Sorry little wolf, no food for you over here."

The other human then appeared from behind a tree. His white hair looked normal compared to the unusual clothing they both were wearing; this second one even had a facemask.

_What kind of a place has people who dress like this?_ Harry wondered, trying to picture a place where being dressed like this would be acceptable at all.

He recognized a few of the sounds the humans were making from the information he had been given before this outlandish journey, but Harry couldn't understand what they were saying. He tried to focus on the words, but it was still too early for any of the knowledge he had been given to be helpful in this situation.

The white haired human lazily strode over to where Harry was still cowering defensively. "He's just a baby," he said, leaning towards Harry to get a better look. "Looks pretty hungry to me as well."

Harry bared his teeth, trying to decide whether these two were a threat to him or not. The white haired human laughed and, in the blink of an eye, swept Harry up into his arms. Harry squirmed and tried to bite the human who dared pick him up.

"Don't worry little wolf, I have food for you. You need it."

"Oh I had forgotten. You have a soft spot for wolves, don't you?" the green one stated to the one in the mask.

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Harry stared at the piece of meat that had been placed in front of him. Both of the humans were leaving him alone, other than small glances they shot his way every now and again. He sniffed the meat, and the delicious scent made the decision for him. He took a small bite with as much self-control as he could manage.

It was rabbit, but the flavoring was a little different compared to the rabbits he had eaten in the past. Not wanting to think about any confusing questions when he had no one to answer them, Harry turned to his meat and ate greedily.

After finishing the meal the humans had provided, Harry took time to study them, sitting around the fire. The white-haired man was staring lazily back. Harry believed his companion had called him Kakashi, and the other he had heard referred to as Gai.

Suddenly, and without being quite sure what had just happened, Harry found himself held down with a blade at his throat.

"I know you aren't a real wolf, so who are you, and how are you able to hold that form so convincingly?" The white-haired ninja demanded. Harry shuddered at the tone he was using, and slowly released his animagus form.

"A kid? How is a kid able to do that? By his youthfulness, I would guess he isn't any older than four," Gai stated, his caterpillar-like eyebrows raised very high.

Harry, back in his tied-back, overly large black cloak, tried to explain that he was lost, but the only words coming out were in English, and it was clear by the expressions on the two men's faces that they didn't understand any of it. He swallowed hard, anxiously wondering if the Fates had given him a "second chance" only to have him killed within hours of his reawakening.

Harry had never thought much of forests, anyway.

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Well, Gai and Kakashi enter the scene!

Okay guys, big question here, what do you think Harry's Japanese name should be? I have a few ideas, but I wanted to here what you guys thought. Any suggestions are helpful!

-EmLights


	3. Chapter 3:The Hidden Leaf Village

Hello!

Here's the next chapter in this story, sorry it's taken longer than I expected! This month has been pretty hectic. For those of you who have been helping me figure out a name, thank you very much! All of your help is much appreciated.

Please keep reviewing! These reviews keep the story going! Thanks for reading and enjoy Chapter 3!

-EmLIghts

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The Next Great Adventure

"To the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure" – Albus Dumbledore (HPSS, Chapter 17)

Chaper 3: The Hidden Leaf Village

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_How… how did he know I wasn't a wolf?_ Harry wondered, gazing at the kunai fearfully. _And how am I supposed to explain my situation when I can't even explain myself! _Harry closed his eyes, wishing this were only a continuation of the strange dream about Fates and his "next great adventure."

The green clad ninja glanced at Kakashi with praise. "You are indeed worthy to be my rival, Kakashi. How is it you knew he was human?"

"His scent," Kakashi replied easily. No further explanation was given.

"The kid's chakra levels are relatively high, but that does not explain how he was able to effect such a youthful transformation. Maybe it's some type of bloodline limit?" Gai continued rambling off different explanations of Harry's strange wolf form and what might be the cause of it as Harry lay rigidly on the cold hard ground, with the kunai still placed at his neck.

"He also looks to be lost," Gai stated thoughtfully. "Despite his youth, he is only skin and bones. Looks like he hasn't had a bite to eat in days. Maybe we should take him with us…"

"No," Kakashi stated suddenly. Harry perked up at a word he did understand, no. "He may be a danger to the village. We know nothing about him. He may be a spy."

They both stared down at Harry's small form, still looking fearfully up at the weapon the white haired ninja held to him.

"… Or he could just be a lost kid with a strange new bloodline limit. The Hokage at least needs to be notified before we make a decision," Gai said confidently. Kakashi stood still for a moment, and then nodded his head.

"Yes, the Hokage should be informed. We will bring him in." Kakashi removed the kunai from Harry's neck and leaned in very close.

"You make one wrong move," he said slowly, " and you die." Though he could not understand all of what was being said, Harry did glean enough from their tones and actions to know he was being led somewhere, and he shouldn't try anything funny or this could end very badly for him.

Thirty minutes later, Harry found himself walking between the two ninja on a road leading to a very large wall. The ninja were discussing something in Japanese about his shape shifting abilities—Harry was starting to be able to understand words and put them into sentences, although speaking was a different action entirely. Instead of dwelling too much on this, he just focused on being able to understand the ninja's conversation a little more clearly. At least this would help him figure out what he has to do to survive in this new world.

When they came closer to the wall, Harry saw large gates with people bustling around inside them. It looked like some type of town, a medieval looking one at that.

When they came to the outside of the gate into the town, two ninja sitting lazily at a booth called them over. One of the ninja had spiky black hair and dark eyes, and a bandage resting on the bridge of his nose. The other one had straight brown hair that cascaded down to entirely cover his right eye.

They both looked at Harry with confusion.

"So who 's the kid?" the first one with a bandage across his face asked the green clad ninja, Harry was sure his name was Gai given how often the silver-haired ninja called him that. He had initially thought the other ninja was called "Kakashi," but Gai referred to him as "Rival" more than anything else, and he wasn't quite sure which one was his name.

"We found this little one in the forest," Gai stated, gesturing toward Harry. "Has an interesting bloodline we want to show the Hokage." The two ninja stared at him expectantly, but Kakashi interrupted.

"We are in a bit of a hurry, so we'll be off," he said, with a wave and his signature eye smile. He motioned to Harry and Gai to continue and followed behind them toward the gate.

Harry wanted to ask what a Hokage was but still couldn't figure out how to say it. It was getting increasingly more frustrating not being able to talk and only able to understand what the two ninja were saying. Especially when the white haired one stated that if he had longer hair, he could be confused with a cute little girl. Harry fumed at that comment, and it took every ounce of strength not to start cursing back at the man. These outbursts felt strange to Harry, as this younger body's urge to whine and complain seemed foreign to his nineteen-year-old mind. He pondered this strange realization that he indeed was going to be starting over as a child, with child-like impulses.

"Well kid, welcome to the Hidden Leaf Village," Kakashi said peering over at Harry with his one eye. Harry, who still felt very guarded for being in an unknown place, just nodded.

"Hmm…." Kakashi stared at Harry thoughtfully. "I guess you do understand what we are saying then. That's good to know." Harry looked up and nodded once again. He wasn't sure what these ninja had in store for him, but at least he could answer yes or no. This would have to do until he was able to figure out how to speak this strange language. And for what seemed to be the hundredth time this day, he cursed the Fates for making this "next great adventure" so much more difficult for him.

_Maybe I was wrong about him_, Kakashi thought as he stared down at the young boy walking dutifully next to him. _Large chakra reserve like this and unknown abilities usually scream foreign ninja or spy. Initially, I figured he was an older shinobi with the ability to transform into a child just as he transformed into a wolf._

He stared down at the child once again, his trained eye catching the rapid breathing and small shivers from the young boy. _He either is a brilliant actor or… really just a lost child. If so, I'll need to make it up to him._

The three walked through the Hidden Leaf Village in silence, which was just fine for Harry. He was too lost in his thoughts about what this meeting with the Hokage, whoever he was, would mean for Harry. What if they decided it was better to just kill him and be done with it? Then another thought occurred to him.

_What if I died and this world has its own heaven? I won't ever be able to see my old friends and family ever again, just dead ninja from this world. _Harry's eyes filled with tears, and he tried his hardest to get control of the emotions waiting to explode. He sniffed involuntarily, drawing the gazes of the two ninja. Gai gave Harry a sympathetic smile and patted his head rather hard.

"It'll be okay little one. The Hokage is a very wise man and will know just what to do with you." This comment didn't calm Harry's nerves, rather the opposite. Harry didn't like that one man was the deciding factor on what will happen to him. In no time at all, it seemed, they had arrived at a huge building.

"This is the Hokage's Tower," Gai said for Harry's benefit. Harry hesitated at the door, uncertain about the events that would unfold after he entered.

"Come on," the white haired ninja ordered casually, giving him a slight push through the doorway, "Time to see the Hokage."

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_::::_

Harry's hands were shaking nervously as he slowly entered the room. Huge windows, capturing the magnificence of the entire village outside, lit up the circular room. A small mahogany desk sat in the middle of the room, littered with stacks of paper haphazardly lying about. Old dusty books piled to the ceiling hid most of the walls from sight. A small elderly man sat behind the desk with a large pipe in hand. His puffs of smoke circled his head like a halo before dissipating into the rising air. The old man was currently busy staring into an old crystal ball, watching a seven year old with bright yellow hair and whisker markings playing pranks on unsuspecting ninja. He looked up as the two ninja and Harry came into the room and put the crystal ball away.

The elderly man's features resembled his old headmaster so much that for a second Harry was back at Hogwarts, walking into Dumbledore's study once again. Thinking of Dumbledore made Harry's heart hurt. He missed the quirky old man; his half moon spectacles, strange wardrobe choices and all. Harry's eyes fluttered shut as Dumbledore's death flashed before his eyes.

_Dumbledore was preoccupied with an intense and lengthy battle with Voldemort after a small raid had turned into an ambush. Finding out that a traitor was amongst the Order was difficult, but no one had time to dwell on the fact while being attacked from all sides by death eaters. The ambush turned bleak as the Order realized Voldemort had arrived._

_Dumbledore, with all his glory, took it upon himself to distract the Dark Lord as the rest of the Order tried to find a way to escape. There would be other opportunities to fight; right then, getting the wounded to safety was the utmost importance, especially since the Chosen One was among them._

_Dumbledore used the rest of his magic to raise a barrier around the death eaters, so that the members of the Light were able to escape without pursuit. His magic dwindled down to nothing, Dumbledore was easily overpowered by Voldemort. With a yell of triumph, Voldemort cast the final curse and Dumbledore fell in a blast of green light._

Harry's eyes prickled as they filled with tears. He wiped them away with him forearm hastily; the situation before him was more important at the moment than rehashing bad memories.

"So, who is this young one?" the elderly man asked pleasantly.

Harry, now understanding the Japanese perfectly, answered quickly, "Harry, my name is Harry."

The old man's forehead furrowed and he frowned deeply, glancing between the two men that had escorted Harry.

_Damn_, Harry thought, seeing the reaction, _I said that in English again, didn't I?_

"Hokage-sama, we found this little boy in the forest right outside the village, in the form of a wolf pup. We brought him here to see what you wanted to do with him," Gai replied after Harry's failed attempt at speaking for himself.

All three of them stared at Harry, making him increasingly uncomfortable. He realized he was sweating rather excessively under his toga-cloak.

_Okay Harry, you can do this_, he thought with determination. _I just have to be able to say enough so they know I'm not a threat and then all of this scrutiny will be over._

"Harry," he said slowly, pointing at himself. "I'm Harry."

The old man stared at him with piercing blue eyes. "So, your name is Hari, little one?" Harry nodded quickly.

"Well, Hari, I see that you can understand us relatively well. Are you able to speak our language though?"

Harry scrunched up his face in concentration. "Trying," he said, and to his relief, it came out in Japanese. He looked up and smiled at the old man, who looked at him with amusement.

"Hmm, well Hari, what were you doing in the Forest of Death?"

"I got sent here by interfering Fates and have no idea where this is or what I'm supposed to do!" Harry whined, and cursed himself for saying it again in English. He closed his eyes._Okay, try something simpler…_

"Lost," Harry stated. _I guess I really will seem like a four year old if the only way I can speak their language is in one-word sentences. _He grumbled at the thought.

"Hokage, if I may make a suggestion?" Kakashi asked, stepping up to the desk. The Hokage gestured for him to continue. "Maybe Ibiki would be able to get some answers from him. We can't be sure if he is faking having language barrier or not."

"Kakashi, you want to send a four year old to Ibiki!" Gai exclaimed. "He would be destroyed! Ibiki is the most ruthless interrogator Konoha has!"

Harry did not like how the conversation was going at all. This Ibiki character sounded more like a death eater than a ninja. Definitely someone he would have tried to avoid if possible.

_I have the worst luck in the world it seems. How do ninja even interrogate? They most likely don't have things like veritaserum, so do they use knives and such to torture their victims for answers?_

The Hokage rubbed his chin in thought. "Even though I do not see this child being some sort of spy, it might be best to see if Ibiki is able to get some answers out of him."

A look of horror shot across Harry's face. The Hokage saw it and smiled at him.

"Do not worry child. I will not let him harm you. Unless, of course, you are a spy, then I'm afraid it's a different story. Kakashi, please escort Hari to the TI building."

Kakashi saluted, grabbed Harry, and jumped out the window, with Harry's protests heard all the way out.

"Gai, I would like you to go and talk to Ibiki personally before he sees Hari. I want you to explain the situation and let him know that this child isn't a suspect yet. We would just like to know who he is for now and where he has come from."

Gai nodded and saluted before heading out the door.

The Hokage sat back in his chair thoughtfully, his smoking pipe all but forgotten after the mystery of the young new arrival. _Transforming into a wolf pup, eh? What a curious boy. I really hope he isn't a spy and ends up joining our village. It would be interesting to see what kind of abilities he possesses._

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End Chapter 3

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So, any guesses to how this is going to turn out? It will sure be interesting!

Question: What do you think will happen between Ibiki and Harry? Should be interesting. I'd like to see if anyone can guess the right answer!

Also… Sorry it has taken so long… writer's block on top of some personal problems have really made it hard to get back to writing. But no worries, I am back and ready to continue this story.

Reviews and constructive criticism always welcome!

Any suggestions are always appreciated.

-EmLights


	4. Chapter 4:Ibiki

Hey guys. Thanks so much for all of your reviews!

First off, I wanted to talk about a few of the issues people had. Kakashi does not hate Harry or dislike children. He doesn't even know if Harry really is a child because he has shifting abilities (or so he thinks), so he has been on alert the whole time. Also, Harry doesn't know Kakashi's mannerisms yet and could be reading him wrong. He is just a kid! (: But no worries, Kakashi will be changing his tune very soon! He is my favorite character so I would never have him be a bad guy!

Secondly, I promise to make my chapters longer. I know a lot of you guys were complaining about that. So I will do my best!

Thirdly, the sister will NOT be an OC! She is a character everyone knows and loves. But I can see where you would think that… I tried to make it vague so people wouldn't guess it, but maybe I should go and changed it to throw in a few hints here and there.

To wrap it up, Kakashi – good guy, chapters – will be longer, sister – NOT OC.

-EmLights

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The Next Great Adventure

"To the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure" – Albus Dumbledore (HPSS, Chapter 17)

Chaper 4: Ibiki

Kakashi landed in front of a building that in Harry's opinion was more of a prison than anything else: towering, thick gray walls with barred windows and a heavy door that screamed 'once you come in, you never come out'.

As they entered, the white-haired ninja led Harry silently down a long hallway. Harry involuntarily started shivering, not from the cold musty air that filled the building, but his fear of this unknown man that would be questioning him.

Kakashi peered down at the shivering form and felt a small pang of guilt. He laid his hand awkwardly on Harry's shoulder and gave it a small squeeze. Harry peeked up at him with wide eyes in response.

"Ibiki is pretty intimidating, but if you aren't a spy, there is nothing to worry about." Harry wasn't sure if this was supposed to be reassuring or not, but it didn't make him feel any better. What was his story supposed to be? Should he tell the truth and be marked as insane, or lie and possibly get caught and then tortured for lying?

Kakashi brought him to a room empty of everything but two small chairs. Harry sank into one of the chairs, pulled his knees up, and tried his best to curl up into a ball.

Kakashi, instead of sitting in the remaining seat, leaned against the doorway studying the boy. Seeing the frail looking kid hug his knees to his chest reminded him of himself after his father died, scared and all alone. He had a strange urge to give the boy a hug, which alarmed him greatly. What was it about this boy that made him feel protective all of a sudden?

::::

Gai appeared in Ibiki's office just as Kakashi walked into the building with the young boy. Ibiki was instructing his subordinate, a tokubetsu jonin named Anko, to finish all the paperwork he had put aside for too long.

"Ibiki, the Hokage wishes for you to speak to a youthful boy my rival and I found in the forest. He wants you to see if you can find out the boy's story. There is a slight language barrier, as it seems the boy doesn't speak very well, but he understands well enough." Gai grinned widely and added, "I know you can do it, my spirited friend!"

Ibiki stared at him blankly for a moment before turning back to his subordinate. "I'll be in the interrogation rooms if you need me," he stepped past Gai and out of the room, the other shinobi falling in step with him, "Is the kid already here?"

Gai nodded in the affirmative, "Yes, my rival was charged with bringing him here directly."

Ibiki pursed his lips, if the boy was with Kakashi he could be anywhere in the village. "So, why does the Hokage want _me_ to question a kid?"

"Young Hari has already shown to us his shining spirit of willful youth! He is able to shape shift into a wolf pup, which is the glorious form he wore when we first came upon him in the forest of death." Ibiki was only slightly impressed with this information. But if the Hokage wanted him to question the kid, there must be something special about him, and not just a shifting ability.

Gai frowned, expression suddenly serious as he eyed his comrade. "Ibiki, the boy seems scared, and was all alone out there. Don't be too hard on him."

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Ibiki stared unblinkingly at the boy. Even though this was how he usually started interrogations, he was not staring to freak the kid out. He was merely studying him.

_Well, he looks about five but extremely malnourished. Doesn't seem to have had a decent meal in weeks. There are faint scars along his body, a rather deep one on his left bicep, and a strange mark like lightning on his forehead. His clothing does not seem local at all. In fact, I have never seen fabric such as that before. Hmm…_

But what had Ibiki most intrigued were the boy's eyes.

_They are a striking green color, but they look very peculiar on his young body. Those eyes hold pain, suffering, and loneliness, eyes that I see mainly on war veterans or rescued torture victims. This boy looks like he has lived through many years of war and death, which is what I find to be very strange for one so young. No, his eyes are much more interesting than any shape-shifting abilities._

Harry tried to maintain eye contact with the man but was finding it very difficult. Something about this man reminded him of Snape, and while Snape had been a good man, he had still been a right bastard most of the time. Pushing thoughts of Snape out of his mind, Harry started twiddling with his thumbs waiting for the man to start talking.

"So, Hari is it?" Harry nodded, looking up once again. "My name is Ibiki, and I am the head interrogator for Konoha. I should warn you that I can tell when someone is lying to me, so it would be best if you refrained from trying. I am a master in torture, but I would rather not have to resort to that." The man gave Harry a very Snape-like smirk. He nodded again.

"Wonderful! So, Hari… Where did you come from?" Harry inwardly cringed. First question, and already he didn't know how to answer. _Okay, just keep it short and vague, and it will be almost like the truth without looking like an insane person._

"Far away," Harry said simply. "Home gone." Harry almost winced at how weak and childish he sounded. Keeping to simple answers and having the voice of a child was really starting to irritate him.

"Hmm… your home was destroyed then?" Another nod. "Alright. What about your family?"

"Parents dead," Harry replied. Kakashi, listening through a one-way glass with Gai and the Hokage, was surprised at the lack of emotion the boy had when talking about his family being dead. He glanced over at the Hokage, who looked troubled at the revelation.

"Are you a spy?"

"No." Ibiki glanced at the window on the side of the room and gave a small nod, indicating it was the truth.

The Hokage, sitting behind the one-way glass, sighed with relief. He turned to Kakashi and Gai and said, "As I suspected. Now we will have to figure out what to do with him."

Kakashi silently agreed and turned back to look at the boy. The gears in his mind started turning rapidly, and he couldn't help but grin. _What to do with him, indeed._

Ibiki continued the questioning. "And how old are you?"

"… Don't know." This was the first answer that really shocked Ibiki; there was no lie in the kid's statement. _How can a boy not know his own age?_

Harry was getting frustrated. He was able to keep it simple so far, but he didn't even know his age for Merlin's sake! Ibiki was slowly losing his scare factor, as Harry was now just frustrated and ready for this to be over and done with.

"Are you a shape shifter?"

"No. Just wolf." So he couldn't shift, eh? Ibiki glanced at the one-way mirror. This… boy. He was very interesting. Just not in the way the Hokage had expected. Hari was a riddle, one that Ibiki wanted to figure out. One after another, he fired questions away and received short, broad answers that only led to more fascinating questions.

"So Hari… how did you end up in the forest?"

Harry sighed. He had been in this room with this Ibiki man for about an hour, trying his best to answer truthfully without sounding mentally unbalanced. He thought for a second, and a good, albeit only slightly truthful, answer came to mind.

"Searching for sister," Harry said, hoping this man believed him. The Fates did say he had a sister, so he does need to find her at some point. Too bad he had no idea who she was or where she might be.

"So, you think she came to this village. What is her name? How old is she? Is she a ninja?" Harry groaned. _So much for trying to get out of this without lying._

"Don't… know."

Ibiki, getting fed up with all the 'don't know' answers, was about to start in on the boy, when they were suddenly interrupted.

"Ibiki-san, I can't figure out what you want me to do about the incident in Iwa. Should I…. Oh." Anko looked up from the papers she was holding and realized she had interrupted Ibiki's questioning.

Ibiki refrained from rolling his eyes. After glaring at the boy to stay put, he stood up to snatch the papers out of Anko's hand.

As Ibiki read through the report, Harry took the time to study the young lady that had come in. She was wild looking, with spiky black hair and a wicked grin. He was about to look away when he saw a head poke out of her jacket sleeve. A black snake's head. Shocked, Harry continued to stare at the snake as he heard him start speaking to his handler.

"_Mistress, the boy over there smells funny_." Anko tore her eyes away from the report then glanced at Harry. She grinned.

"Oh, smells funny how?" Ibiki looked up at Anko in confusion, but then saw her attention was directed at the small snake protruding out of her clothing.

"_He smells of places far away. Places I have never been_." Well, that was strange. Anko had been all around the continents with her familiar Habu, so hearing this boy was from somewhere new was surprising.

"Hmm… Habu says this boy is from a place he has never been before," Anko announced to Ibiki. "That is strange, because Habu has been to all the continents."

Harry, being able to understand everything the snake was saying, paled at the statement. He wasn't sure what would come of the insinuation, but he didn't think any of it would be good. He then realized, cracking the first smile since he'd been brought into this village, he had just found a way to speak without struggling with the new language.

"_It's not very nice to tell people they smell funny_."

Everyone, in the room and behind the one-way glass, stared at Harry like he had grown two heads.

"_A speaker! I never thought I'd meet a true speaker such as you. I will have to tell my kin that a brother without scales has appeared."_ The snake excitedly left his mistresses jacket and slithered over to the young boy. He climbed up Harry's leg and came face to face with the boy. He tasted Harry's skin and squirmed.

"_You even taste different_," the snake admitted and hissed in laughter.

"Anko, can you understand him?" Ibiki asked slowly, still wrapping his head around the new development.

"Yeah I can. Ibiki, who is this kid? I've never even heard of a person being able to actually speak _like_ a snake."

"_It's called parseltongue in my language_," Harry said to the girl Anko. "_It's kind of rare, but I was born with this ability to speak with snakes_."

"Huh. So the kid was born hissing at snakes. You found yourself a unique kid, Ibiki."

"Anko, I need you to stay and translate for me. This will be much faster than the short one or two worded answers the boy has given me so far. Is that okay with you, boy?" Harry nodded as Anko settled herself against the back wall and Ibiki sat back down to continue the questioning.

"So, we were talking about your sister. Why don't you know anything about her?"

"_My memory is messed up. I don't know anything about my sister, only that I have one, and she is supposed to be coming soon. I don't know when or where she will be. That's why I need to find her." _

_Phew_, Harry thought as Anko relayed his answer. _Still truthful without sounding insane. I'm starting to get good at this. _

The rest of the questioning went smoothly, as Harry was now able to converse quite efficiently through Anko.

"Well that was certainly enlightening," said the Hokage, sitting back in his chair stretching as the questioning came to an end. "We have learned that the only family he has left is his sister who is missing, he is from somewhere far away, he can turn into a wolf, and that most all other information we could want he doesn't know because his memory has been compromised."

Kakashi silently agreed. Kakashi saw the kid as an enigma, one that he wanted to figure out. But he also felt a strong urge to help the boy in some way. There was a connection there, one that he hadn't quite figured out yet.

"Yes, well let's all return to my office and figure out what to do next."

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Harry, Kakashi, Gai, Ibiki, and Anko, who was there only because Harry had taken her snake Habu with him, all stood in front of the Hokage's desk. The snake, feeling Harry's nervousness, whispered comforting words into his ear.

_Oh Merlin, this is it_, Harry thought, his heart sinking into his stomach. _ I should never have spoken to the snake! They are going to think I'm a freak cause I can speak parseltongue. No wait, the girl can understand it, and she's okay. Maybe they will like that… But what if they think me being a wolf animagus is bad? What if they think I'm dangerous and kill me? Oh no, what if…. _

Harry's thoughts are interrupted as the old man began to speak.

"Well, my boy, you have definitely made this an exciting day. We would like to help you on your quest to find your sister, of course, but if you said she is searching for you, then I think the best course of action would be for you to stay in one place. Then when she comes, she will be able to find you easily. Now, the question is, would you be opposed to staying here in Konoha?" The Hokage finished and stared at Harry with those twinkling eyes that were so damned familiar that he already knew what his answer would be.

"I will stay," Harry said with a smile. He did see the logical reasoning of staying in the village. First, the old man was right about the higher probability of his sister finding him if he stayed in one place. Also, he didn't want to keep traveling through forests. Harry wanted to find a place that maybe he could once again call home. Hogwarts was the only place he ever felt was home. He wanted that feeling of belonging once again. He might not be able to find it here, but he would never be able to find it if he kept moving around.

"Excellent! Now, since you are so young, I don't think it would be a good idea for you to live on your own. There is the orphanage," Harry quickly paled, " but I think the best option would be for you to stay with someone who will be able to take care of you and protect you if need be."

"He can stay with me, Hokage-sama," Kakashi stated, though it seemed as if the announcement stunned Kakashi as well as everyone else. Harry's head snapped up at the white-haired ninja with his mouth wide open. Kakashi rubbed his hair, embarrassed at his outburst.

"I… have a spare bedroom that I don't use. I'll also be able to train him if he wants, since I failed the genin team you wanted to place me with. Also, Genma lives next door, and I know I can talk him into checking on Hari while I'm away on missions."

"Kakashi, you are so hip and cool to offer the youthful Hari a home!" Gai proclaimed, giving Kakashi a thumbs up with tears streaming down his cheeks.

The Hokage smothered the smile that threatened to escape onto his face. This was better than he had hoped for. Kami knows Kakashi could use someone to give his life meaning. The boy needed a guardian, someone who won't abuse the fact that he has unique abilities.

"Hari, what do you think?" the Hokage asked, peering down at Harry who was still staring up at Kakashi.

Harry looked away from Kakashi and nodded slowly. He wasn't sure why this ninja had offered him a place to stay, but he would be careful. He was in a new world and with that comes new rules. However, this ninja said he would train Harry, and training is exactly what he needs to survive in a place like this. Another part of him, the child Harry, swelled with hope that someone truly wanted him. Even though this man had been suspicious of him earlier, he actually offered to take care of him and help him!

Harry's head ached with all the excess emotions rattling around. He forced his thoughts away and focused on the people around him.

"With that settled, I suggest, Kakashi, that you take young Hari home and get him settled in. He has certainly had a long day. Tomorrow you need to take him to the hospital for a check up and then you can show him around his new village. Be sure to stop at the Academy so he can see what he can expect if he wishes to attend next year."

"Yes, Hokage-sama." Kakashi gestured for Harry to follow him and, after Harry had given Habu back to Anko, they left. Gai bowed and tailed behind them as well.

"Ibiki, is there anything you wish to add?" the Hokage asked curiously.

"No sir. But I am going to continue keeping a close eye on the boy. There is something… odd about him. And I intend to find out what that is."

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Kakashi led Harry out onto the street toward his apartment. He noticed that Harry was getting quite a few odd stares and realized it was because of his clothing. The strange black cloth wrapped around the kid's body was definitely not a normal style around here.

"So Hari, first thing tomorrow we will be going to buy you a whole new wardrobe." Harry, who had detected the weird glances he had been receiving, was awkwardly tugging at his cloak. He blushed and agreed instantly.

It wouldn't be prudent for him to strut around with a toga in a ninja village if he could help it.

End Chapter

QUESTION: Who should be the first kid Harry runs into? I have a few ideas of who should be his first friend, but I want to see what you guys think!

Thanks everyone who has been reviewing! 100 reviews, that is so amazing! And this chapter is 14 pages! My longest chapter so far! I'm going to keep trying to make them longer, cause I know all you guys said you wanted them to be longer.

And once again, thank you to my wonderful beta Orodruin. Without you this story would be terrible. (;

EVERYONE REVIEW PLEASE! Reviews make me want to write faster!


	5. Chapter 5:Getting to Know Hatake Kakashi

Okay here is chapter 5, the longest chapter yet! I am so happy with the response I have received from this story! Your wonderful reviews have really motivated me to continue writing this quickly and update more frequently. You guys are awesome.

By the way, I have edited some things with the first chapters just to let you know.

And a HUGE thanks to my amazing beta Orodruin, who has helped me so much with this chapter.

Enjoy!

FUN FACT: If you have any omake's that you think of while reading, please send them to me and if I like it I may add it to the end of the chapter! The funnier the better!

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The Next Great Adventure

"To the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure" – Albus Dumbledore (HPSS, Chapter 17)

Chaper 5: Getting to know Hatake Kakashi

Harry lay on his new futon, staring at the unusual objects lining the walls of his new room. Strangely shaped weapons, shelves filled with scrolls and bright orange books, and maps with bizarre lands and waters Harry didn't recognize filled the surrounding walls. He thought of his new guardian Hatake Kakashi; Harry still had no idea how he felt about him. His experience told him that everyone had an agenda, and he needed to figure out what exactly Kakashi's was. _Why would he want to take me in? How could he possibly benefit this? _

He yawned and turned over, cuddling against a soft blanket with a stuffed grey wolf under his arm. To his chagrin, his childish tendencies surfaced once again as soon as he saw the wolf plushie in an old bin in the corner of his new room. Apparently the box was filled with Kakashi's old toys and possessions from his childhood that hadn't been touched in years.

All it took was a few seconds for five-year-old Harry to locate the wolf and immediately race over, pull it into his arms, and cling to it happily. Kakashi didn't seem to mind, though it was hard for Harry to tell with his face mask hiding most of his expression.

He huddled further into the futon, trying to decide whether to attempt to fall asleep or not. For the past couple of years, sleeping had been a very difficult thing to come by. His nights usually consisted of either waking up to nightly death eater raids or a night of fitful dreams that always turned into horrific nightmares. These nightmares would always lead him to being either shaken awake by one of his friends or woken up by his own bloodcurdling screams.

He was so tired, but he didn't know how Kakashi would react if Harry had a nightmare. He tried to cast a silencing charm around his room, but all that occurred was a small blast of light in his palm and pain jolting through his body.

_What on earth…? _Harry could still feel the tingling all over his skin, a sensation he had never felt before. He sat straight up in bed and held his hand out again.

"Lumos," he said, concentrating on lighting up the palm of his hand. Again, a jolt of pain shot through his arm to the rest of his body. It was then that Harry started to hyperventilate. _Oh no, oh no, this can't be happening! How will I survive this place if I can't even cast any spells! _

At the end of his last year at Hogwarts, Harry had perfected his wandless abilities after months of training. A fact that made Professor Snape both proud and bitter, as he was the one teaching Harry this skill. His wandless magic had saved his life countless times, especially the time he had been captured and taken to Malfoy manor and his wand was taken away. He smirked at the memory of Lucius Malfoy's face after Harry blasted the walls of his cell and sent Malfoy flying into a far wall.

Since he didn't have a wand here in this place, the only thing he could rely on would be his wandless abilities and if he couldn't even do that anymore…. _I am totally screwed_, he thought anxiously. _But Kakashi, he said he would teach me to be a ninja if I wanted. If I learned that, then I could protect myself even without my wandless abilities. I might have to think some more about this. _He wasn't sure whether he even wanted to be a ninja at all.

He started his breathing exercises, something he learned early on to help calm down an impending panic attack. He breathed in slowly, held it for a second, and let it out, counting to ten each time. He finally felt most of the panic subside, much to his relief.

After deciding he would deal with this problem in the morning, Harry drifted into a fitful sleep.

_The basement meeting room at Number 12 Grimmauld place blurred and contorted all around him. Empty seats ran along the length of the long table, and Harry felt a painful pull in his chest for the growing number that would never be filled again as the Order of the Phoenix dwindled._

"_Harry, look at this," Hermione called his attention to the map spread out in front of them—Harry looked down at the blurry collection of houses and streets of the small town of Raven's Nest, located just outside London. "Voldemort will probably attack from this direction."_

_Ron nodded his agreement from her other side, "Harry, we'll send your team in here, and Charlie will be in the air over here. During the defense, Tonks's team will come out of disguise and fortify our defenses here and here."_

"_I'll take my team down the main road," Hermione added, tracing out a path on the map, "We should be able to notify the largest number of people, and hopefully get them all to safety."_

"_Don't forget, it will be Christmas Eve," a sour, biting voice said behind him, and Harry turned to see Snape, peering over his shoulder suspiciously—his cheeks were more sunken and hollow than in the past, and his gaunt frame weary. "Families will be together in their homes, not about in the main street."_

_Hermione pursed her lips, "I know that, but the road is in the center of town—I'll send half of the group down the East side and half will take the West, but most of the side streets don't go all the way through the village, so we'll be working off the main road to coordinate."_

"_Work the details out with Seamus and Ernie," Harry said brusquely, pushing his chair back and rising, "We don't have much time. Christmas is only three days away, and we need to get Tonks's team out there now."_

_He turned towards the door and the room faded into darkness behind him, and when Harry ducked through the doorway, he found himself on the street._

Harry's breathing started to quicken.

"_Oy, Harry!" A little girl with bubble-gum pink hair and a puggy nose ran down the street in front of him, and he turned to stare after her, eyes slowly rising to the air, which was full of black, shadowy shapes. He stared for several seconds, frozen, dread pooling inside of him and the horrible, echoing scream of his mother piercing in his ears._

"_Tonks!" He shouted as he shook off his daze, looking down the street again for the girl—but she had turned the corner already and was nowhere to be seen._

"_Harry," a voice said behind him, and Harry turned—his team stood behind him in the street, grim faced and determined, and Harry managed to still the trembling in his hands and pull out his wand._

"_First order of business is to drive out those dementors," he stated boldly, raising his own wand and pointing it towards the oncoming horde—"_Expecto Patronum!_"_

_Silvery forms cut across the streets and through the air as patronuses of all shapes and sizes threw themselves at the dementors. Harry and his team advanced through the village streets—once in a while he caught sight of Charlie, or one of his team members, flitting through the air above them on broomsticks, glimmering white lights driving back the mass of dementors above._

_The streets were still, except their own teams and the dementors, fleeing before them. Hermione had already been through this part of town, and the majority of the residents had been evacuated. But others they could hear, screaming, voices echoing through alleys and streets, and as they advanced further, reclaiming the village, they came across bodies. The villagers they hadn't been in time to save—staring blankly and unmoving, mouths slightly parted, empty of souls. Victims of the dementor's kiss._

_Harry tried not to look at them, but their hollow eyes stared back at him all the same—accusing. He was supposed to have saved them. He should have gotten there earlier._

_The most horrible sight was near the edge of town, where two small children lay in each other's arms, vacant expressions on their small, pudgy white faces, eyes turned up towards the skies. He watched, numbly, as one of the newer recruits approached them, trying hopelessly to wake them from their daze, even though Harry knew they never would. Their bodies were still alive, but those children were now nothing but emotionless dolls, a fate worse than death._

"_Ca—" Harry started, when the younger man started to become almost hysterical in his desperation—he never finished the sentence, because the man dropped dead in front of him, a violent, green light hitting him from the side._

"_Back!" Harry shouted, head jerking and body instinctively slipping into a lower crouch, wand in his hand and eyes searching for their enemies. "Get to cover!"_

_They were still apparating, appearing further out in the streets, one after another, spells flying almost the same instant they materialized. Harry sent a spell flying in return, and behind him his team did the same as they retreated further back down the street. The death eaters were still appearing, and Harry cursed when he saw groups of them knotting together._

"_Everyone—get out of here! Now!" He shouted—he saw one of his team turn on the spot and disappear, even as he moved to do the same, but they were too late, the rest of their attempts at apparation failed. The death eaters had managed to erect their anti-apparation wards in time, they were trapped._

_They fought as they retreated, back towards the main road, more of his team falling under curses and spells as they struggled to gain distance and cover on the larger attacking force. People screamed around him—friends, people he cared about and had fought beside before—and there was nothing he could do for them but leave them behind._

_He ran around another corner, bringing up the rear guard on his team, and spun, motioning for his team to run to the next street down, when a black-cloaked figure ran out from a side-alley. Harry's wand was on him in an instant, and half a spell out of his mouth before he recognized Seamus Finnigan._

"_Harry!" The other man called and Harry quickly dropped his wand and cut off his attack. "Hermione sent me!"_

_Harry's eyes widened and he looked around, half expecting to see her standing behind him, "Where is she? Has your team made it out yet?"_

_Shaking his head and taking a moment to catch his breath, Seamus pointed up towards a tall office building back in the direction he'd come from, "They're safe—Hermione wanted to make sure everyone else got out, too."_

_Jets of light burst out of one of the upper windows in the building, aimed down at the street below, and as Harry watched, several red bursts of light struck the side of the building from the street, causing the whole thing to shake._

"_They have to get out of there!" He breathed, staring in apprehension as a growing number of curses struck the building._

"_She said they would be right behind us," Seamus assured him, passing Harry a worn tennis shoe—he recognized it as one of the portkeys they had set up ahead of time._

_Harry drew his eyes away from the building under siege reluctantly and looked around at the remaining members of his team. They were red-faced and weary, breathing hard and covered in sweat, dirt, and blood from their retreat through the village. Even if there was anything they could do for Hermione, they would never make it past the death eaters. They were too exhausted. He would have to trust Hermione to take care of herself._

_Nodding to Seamus, he held out his own portkey and ordered the retreat._

_As the last of his team grabbed hold of his and Seamus's portkeys, the familiar sensation of bending space and time hit Harry harder than usual, and the next thing he knew, he was kneeling on the ground, opposite Ron, who was clutching Hermione's body._

_The woman was limp on the ground and unresponsive, her eyes open but dark and dilated and staring lifelessly. Blood soaked her clothes, matted her hair, and painted red, gory streaks down her face from an open wound on the side of her head._

_Harry couldn't breathe, he could only stare, horror warring with disbelief. Silence hung heavily around him and it was as if the world had ceased to exist. There was only him, Hermione, and Ron, tears streaming down his face._

_A wave of sound crashed in around him and the world sped up again. Ron was sobbing, loud, hysterical cries as he pulled Hermione from the growing puddle of blood underneath her, gathering her unresponsive form in his arms._

"_I'm sorry—I'm so sorry—there wasn't—the building just collapsed and—I'm so sorry—" somewhere behind him, Ernie Macmillan was rambling, his own voice thick with tears and sharp with pain._

_Harry couldn't look away from Hermione, even when someone started shouting behind him—this time loud and angry—and across from him Ron surged to his feet, face red and wand drawn._

"_You bastard!" He wasn't sure if it was Ron or Charlie or George—or even more than one. "You complete and utter bastard! She's dead—it's your fault—I can't believe you would—"_

_He saw the light of the spell, reflecting off the walls around them , and then Ron was screaming again, stumbling back to Hermione's side and practically collapsing on top of Hermione's bloody corpse._

"_I'm so sorry—" Ernie was still apologizing, his voice choking with sobs._

_And Harry stared, tears slowly gathering in his eyes as he looked at his two best friends—one dead, one broken, both covered in blood—and the sounds of their pain shaking around him._

"_H-hermione," he managed, a weak, scratchy whisper._

"_Hermione!" The second time, it was louder, desperate, because this couldn't be happening._

_But it was happening—and hadn't it happened before? It was all happening again._

_His third attempt was less her name and more of an inarticulate scream, desperate and painful, as his body shook and sobs started to bubble up, and he joined his best mate in mourning—and that was when he knew that none of them were going to survive this, and it wasn't a game, and even if they _did_ survive, they would wish that they didn't—_

"Hari! Hari, wake up, it's just a dream."

Harry jerked awake and looked at Kakashi warily. His throat felt raw. He'd known that not having a silencing charm would lead to problems like this. Now he had Kakashi staring down at him with a worried look, and he didn't know how to explain.

Luckily, Kakashi just handed him a cup of hot tea and sat drinking his own in silence. Harry took a sip of the tea and was surprised that he actually liked it. It had a nice vanilla flavor and soothed his throat nicely.

"I used to drink this tea after my missions when I was younger. I had terrible nightmares and would wake up screaming almost every night. My sensei would always give me this tea, and we would drink together and talk about it until it wasn't as painful as before," the man explained quietly, "Now, every time I have a bad dream this is the only tea that will calm me down."

They sat quietly for a few more minutes just sipping the tea before Harry broke the silence.

"Thank you," he muttered softly, not knowing what else to say. He was grateful for the tea, but mostly for the fact that Kakashi hadn't started nagging him about what his nightmare was and why he was screaming. Which is exactly what Hermione would have done if she had been here. He shuddered. It was too early to be thinking about Hermione so soon after that dream.

"Maa, it's no problem. Just know I'm here if you ever want to talk about it." Kakashi said goodnight, took the two empty cups, and left Harry's room to try and get a few more hours of sleep before morning.

Harry glanced at the clock and saw that it was already four in the morning. He groaned. There was no way he was going to be able to get back to sleep. He stretched and quietly got out of bed. He pulled on the old clothes Kakashi gave him, a slightly large pair of black shorts and a black t-shirt, to last him until they went shopping later that day.

_Even though I don't know why, Kakashi has been very kind and generous to me. I should do something nice for him to show that I am grateful, even if I can't express it in words just yet. _Harry thought about it for a minute and then cracked a grin. He knew exactly what he could do.

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Kakashi yawned loudly as he threw a kunai at the raging alarm ringing next to his bed. He sat up and rubbed his eyes before realizing what he had done to his clock. _That is the fourth one this month_, he thought with annoyance as he stood up and stretched. _I'll need to remember to buy them in bulk when we are out shopping today._

As he got dressed and headed out of his bedroom, he noticed an appealing smell coming from the kitchen. He peered inside and saw Harry placing food onto two plates and laying them on the table.

"Come eat," Harry said simply, gesturing for him to sit down. Kakashi wasn't sure what to say so he did as he was told. On the plate were scrambled eggs and toasted bread with jam, which was food Kakashi didn't even remember he had bought. Kakashi stared thoughtfully at him for a moment, reassessing his impression on Harry yet again.

"You need to get groceries!"—_No, wait, that was English_—"Not much food, need more," Harry muttered, looking down at his own plate. _I sound so ridiculous! _Harry thought savagely._ When will I be able to finally speak clearly? _

"Hari, this looks great," Kakashi finally declared as he picked up his chopsticks and dug in. Harry watched him eat with the chopsticks, now seeing a new challenge develop in front of his eyes. "And we can pick up food on our trip today. I usually don't keep many groceries in the apartment, but since you are staying here as well, I will make an exception." Kakashi crinkled his eye, and Harry presumed he was smiling.

Harry picked up his chopsticks warily and awkwardly held them. It didn't help that the Dursleys had never taken him to an Asian restaurant, so he had never tried them before in his life. He watched Kakashi closely and tried to copy to no avail. He ended up getting frustrated and stabbed the egg instead.

Kakashi didn't comment on Harry's obvious struggle but thought it was strange that chopsticks seemed so foreign to the boy. It was just another oddity that Kakashi put in the back of his mind for later evaluation.

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Harry stared at the octopus with suspicion. He was clinging to the back of Kakashi's leg, glaring at the eight-legged monstrosity lying innocently by the assorted fish. Of all the strange food in the store, the octopus was the one that just freaked him out.

"Hari, it's fine, it's just an octopus. We don't have to get any if you are afraid of it."

"Not scared," Harry murmured unconvincingly, cursing his childish fear of the sea-beast. They picked out enough food to last about a week, Harry choosing items he knew how to cook, because he figured he would be providing most of the meals. Kakashi had mentioned earlier how he barely knew anything about cooking unless it was rice or over a campfire.

They dropped off their groceries at the apartment and headed to a clothing store. Kakashi helped Harry choose a wardrobe with some casual clothes and also some outfits for training. As Harry tried on the clothing, Kakashi went out and bought a bagful of alarm clocks though Harry had no idea why he needed so many.

Harry, who couldn't figure out the strange sandals that some people wore, chose some black boots that were more comfortable for him. Harry's training outfit was a short-sleeve black shirt with a green Hidden Leaf symbol on the front and black pants. Kakashi even joked about getting Harry a facemask to match his if he became a ninja. Harry gulped at the price of the clothing, but when he tried to take some of it back, Kakashi waved him off and paid for it.

"The Hokage said he would help pay for your clothing since you didn't have any when you arrived here. So don't worry, it's no trouble." The man assured him. They walked out of the store with three bags full of clothes, and Kakashi led Harry to a bench outside.

"Stay here for a second so I can drop these off at the apartment, and then we can head to the hospital for your check-up. After, I can show you the Academy if you want to see it." Harry nodded in agreement and sat obediently as Kakashi disappeared with a poof and a swirl of leaves.

_It's a little like apparating I think_, Harry thought. _Maybe they have their own variation of apparating so I will be able to do it even if my magic doesn't work!_

There was another thing bothering Harry about not being able to use his wandless abilities. He had been able to transform into his animagus form without a problem but trying to perform a simple lumos caused him intense pain. He wasn't sure what was going on, but he didn't know how to even start trying to figure it out. He would just have to keep attempting spells and see if something changed.

Kakashi returned and escorted Harry to the hospital. He was led to a room and a nice old man named Dr. Masaki came in to greet him.

"So I hear you are the little man who appeared out of nowhere," he said, smiling down at Harry. Harry, who never liked hospitals, tried to smile back but made a pained expression instead. "And you are here just for a check-up, nothing to worry about. I'll just need to take a blood and urine sample from you and give you a simple physical."

After getting his finger pricked and providing a urine sample, he was told to strip to his boxers and Dr. Masaki took his blood pressure, heart rate, and checked his spine.

"How old are you, Hari-kun?" Harry shrugged his shoulders, and Dr. Masaki looked at Kakashi with confusion.

"He doesn't know how old he is. His memory has been affected, so he doesn't know much about his past at all." Kakashi answered for him.

"Hmm…." Dr. Masaki rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Well in my professional opinion, I would say he is about five years old, though he is a little underweight. I think some nutrient supplements will be beneficial for a couple of months just to get him on track for someone his age." The man smiled and winked at him.

Harry nodded, smiling in return. He had always been underweight so this was no surprise for him. Though the idea of getting to a normal size sounded great. Maybe he didn't have to be the shortest kid his age this time!

"Kakashi, I assume you are the one I should contact when the results of the tests come back?" Dr. Masaki asked as Harry was redressing.

"Yeah, that's fine," Kakashi replied and promptly picked up Harry, who was now fully dressed, and jumped out the window.

"Hatake…." Dr. Masaki grumbled after them. "Does he even know how to use a door?"

Harry protested, but Kakashi only chuckled at the boy's antics, and waved off his protests, "You'll get used to it; I never use doors."

They landed outside and started the trek towards the Academy. On the way, Kakashi spotted Genma and Raido talking with two ladies and headed over to introduce Harry to them. "Hari, this is Genma and Raido. Genma is our neighbor and will be watching out for you when I am gone on missions."

Harry glanced at the man named Genma. He had short brown hair and held a sharp pointy thing in his mouth. It seemed like a safety hazard to Harry.

"Seems we will be spending some time together then, huh?" Genma said and winked at Harry.

"He breaks into a strange language every now and then, but you get used to it." Harry glared at Kakashi with his best attempt at a Snape glare, but apparently five-year-olds couldn't pull it off very well, because Kakashi just beamed back at him.

"Aw, isn't he just the cutest!" one of the ladies exclaimed, smiling down at Harry like he was a small puppy.

Raido's eyes lit up. "Well if Genma can't keep him, I am always available to babysit. I just love kids." Raido grinned as the two ladies gushed over how sweet he was to volunteer. Harry rolled his eyes at the vulgar scene. He would not be used to help this man pick up girls if he could help it.

"Just ignore him," Genma whispered in Harry's ear. "He is a little single minded when it comes to the opposite sex."

"I'm off to show Harry the Academy, but you can come by anytime," Kakashi announced, grabbing Harry's hand and leading him down the street again.

"Bye!" Harry shouted over his shoulder and waved at the ninja as they left them behind. He decided he liked Genma already. Raido… not so much.

The Academy was a medium sized building with kids sparring in a training field right outside. They appeared to be only a little older than Harry and already looked like professionals. Harry and Kakashi watched them in silence for several minutes, and Harry silently marveled over what they could do. It was definitely intimidating. But this was his new world and being a ninja was a challenge he wanted to undertake.

"Want to learn," Harry declared, pointing at the kids sparring.

Kakashi patted him on the head. "Well good. I was hoping you'd say that. We will start training tomorrow!"

"What…?" Harry asked in surprise, starting to feel just a little worried—how had the man known what he was going to say? Just what was he getting himself into now?

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End chapter

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So just to let you know, Harry is not going to lose his magical abilities! Because if his travel to a different place, he is having to deal with difficulties from that. There will be an answer because if it, and I will be very impressed if someone is able to guess why.

Well there you go! Okay so next chapter Harry will meet a few of the rookie nine! And it may not be the ones you expect!

QUESTION: So what do you think Kakashi will make Harry do for his first training lesson?

Thanks so much for reading and please review to let me know what you think!

The reviews that have likes and dislikes are my favorite so I can really see what I need to work on as a writer or what ideas I need to expand on. You guys help a whole lot when you tell me what you think about the story and characters.

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OMAKE: Provided by DustBunnyQueen!

(If anyone has any they would like to write for me, I may post it on a chapter!)

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Kakashi was true to his word. He woke Harry at -according to Harry- was an ungodly hour. The Jonin's demeanor didn't help the former wizard's mood any. After a quick breakfast, Kakashi took Harry to the local Ninja-Mart to get proper clothes and equipment. They were barely halfway to their destination when they hit a roadblock...by the name of Maito Gai.

"Kakashi!" Gai practically bellowed, "My hip eternal rival! I heard you decided to take in our young friend and teach him the ways of the ninja!"

Even thought Harry had met the man when he first came to this world...he was still traumatized by what happened next. Tears started streaming down the man's face and he struck a pose and started ranting about the 'springtime of youth'.

The on-lookers watched in amusement at Hari's reaction to Gai. As soon as the green clad Jonin stared going on about the 'springtime of youth' -complete with the waterfall genjustu background- the five-year-old jumped onto Kakashi. He clung to the back of the man's head like and octopus trying to get as far away from the maniac as possible. His eyes were wide in abject horror and he shook like a leaf in the wind.

Kakashi sighed. 'He has that effect on me too, kid.' He thought.

"Gai." Kakashi said calmly, "You're scaring Hari."

Gai froze where he was, jolted back to reality by that phrase. He knew at once he needed to make amends.

"Yosh! I apologize for my youthful outburst! Allow me to make amends by doing 1,000 push-ups! If I cannot do that, I shall run around the village 2,000 times! If I cannot do that, I shall climb the Hokage monument with my teeth!"

Gai continued to make outrageous goals and he walked away. Each goal was interspersed with 'youth!'. Harry leaned over Kakashi's head to look the man in the eye.

"What is he on?!" The shocked boy asked.

"Oddly enough; nothing." Kakashi replied.

Harry's look of terror worsened.


	6. Chapter 6: Training Begins

Some questions that were asked: Why didn't Kakashi take in Naruto if he was able to take in another kid? For my story I would think that the council elders would never allow anyone to adopt the 'demon child' for their own protection. Also, you have to realize that Kakashi was only 15 and his mental state after losing so many loved ones was not the best. He joined ANBU and was very reckless so was not in the right mind to be responsible for another human being. Kakashi took care of him by watching out for him from a distance. And also because the Third didn't want anyone to connect Naruto with Minato and having the Fourth's student taking care of him could be dangerous for him. So there are the multiple reasons why Naruto didn't live with Kakashi. Now on with the chapter!

-EmLights

-Thank you to my beta, Orodruin, for being great yet again. You are the best.

-Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Harry Potter.

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The Next Great Adventure

"To the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure" – Albus Dumbledore (HPSS, Chapter 17)

Chapter 6: Training Begins

Harry lay gasping on the soft grass. His first day of 'training' consisted of Kakashi wanting to see how in shape Harry was, so Harry suffered through what Kakashi referred to as a fit test.

He had to keep reminding himself that this was what he wanted, but his reassurances failed to quiet to his aching body.

"First I want to see what your speed and accuracy are," Kakashi had explained when they first arrived earlier that morning. He pulled out some kunai and shuriken from his pouch. "These star-shaped ones are shuriken, and the longer ones are called kunai. These are blunted so you won't accidently hurt yourself or others depending on how terrible you are at throwing them."

Harry glared fiercely at him, but Kakashi continued as if he didn't notice.

"I've set up targets all around the trail you will be running. The objective is to hit as many targets as you can while completing the path as fast as you can." Harry glanced at the path he would be running; it twisted in and out of the forest and surrounded an entire training field.

"I was thinking about three laps for your first day?"

And that's how Harry's abysmal morning began. It turned out that though he was deemed average in his speed, his accuracy was horrible. Out of the thirty targets, he might have hit five in all three of his laps.

"Well, at least now we know target practice will be a daily routine when you start your real training." Kakashi noted, "As well as building up your speed. Now, for stamina, I want you to run the perimeter of this training field and count the number of laps you complete until you can't run anymore."

Kakashi watched the child struggle as he attempted a fourth lap. He was impressed he made it as long as he had, though it seemed as if Harry was running out of steam. Kakashi's guess was correct as he saw the boy stumble onto the ground, and instead of trying to pick himself up, he stayed down.

"Kakashi," Harry panted, "you mean." He heard a chuckle coming from his right side but was too tired to turn his head.

"You'll get used to this kind of work if you really want to become a ninja. You are only five, so the training you will go through is not something everyone has access to. This will put you way above the other kids your age. Who knows, maybe you will graduate early like I did." Kakashi looked at his watch.

"Oh, I suppose I should be at the meeting assigning jounin to their new genin teams." Kakashi leaned over into Harry's view and asked, "Are you going to be alright out here, or do I need to get Genma to take you home?" Kakashi gave him his famous eye smile.

Harry grunted and rolled his eyes. Apparently Kakashi took that as 'I'm fine, now go and leave already' and poofed away with a twirl of leaves.

_I hurt too much to get up and this ground is comfy. I think a nap is looking like a wonderful idea._ And Harry, exhausted from the workout, fell instantly into a dreamless sleep.

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Harry woke up to the sound of soft breathing next to him. For a split second, he felt like he was back in his four-poster bed in the Gryffindor dorms, until he realized Ron's breathing was much louder and consisted of snoring. He craned his head forcefully toward the sound and saw two boys next to him. The sleeping boy lying next to him had his black hair pulled into a spiky ponytail and had his hands behind his head like a pillow. The other boy, who was a bit on the larger side, with a brown mane of hair and swirls on his cheeks sat quietly with a crinkled bag of empty chips in his lap.

"Erm… hello?" Harry said hesitantly. The large boy turned to stare at him and gave him an apologetic smile.

"Sorry to sneak up on you while you were sleeping. Shikamaru loves taking naps too, so when he saw you laying down over here, he decided we should join you."

"It's okay," Harry replied, lying back down to stare at the clouds. "I'm Harry."

"Oh, yeah, I'm Akamichi Chouji. This is my best friend Nara Shikamaru. I don't think I've ever seen you before."

"He is the new boy that the Jounin Hatake Kakashi took in." The sleeping boy startled Harry when he suddenly decided to join in the conversation. "My dad was telling me about you. I hear you can turn into a wolf."

Harry nodded, embarrassed. He didn't realize other people would know who he was. This wasn't like in the Wizarding World. He wasn't famous here and scars were common among ninja.

_I guess even in this ninja world I had to be viewed as different somehow, h_e thought grimly_. Welcome to the second life of the still famous Harry Potter. _

"You can turn into a wolf? That's so cool! Can you show us?" the round boy asked excitedly. Harry nodded and a second later, he was being pet by the Akamichi boy. Moony preened under the attention.

"Shikamaru, this is amazing. Do you know if it is a bloodline trait?" The lazy boy turned his head to study Harry's small wolf form.

"I have never heard of any ninja being able to do something like this, especially without hand signs. There is a strong possibility that it is some type of bloodline, but I have never heard of it."

Moony enjoyed the scent of the two boys. One smelled of sweet barbeque and the other's scent was like a forest. He liked them both already.

Harry transformed back into himself, and the Akamichi boy cheered and patted him on the back.

"Do you want to play with us sometime? We usually go and play ninja with some of the kids in our class. I'm sure they wouldn't mind if you came along." Harry found himself breaking into a huge grin and nodding enthusiastically. Even though playing with little kids wouldn't have sounded very fun to his old self, his new five-year-old self saw this as a very exciting proposition.

:::::

Kakashi stared as Harry inhaled his lunch. He had subtly been studying the boy ever since Harry became his responsibility. It was strange that for a boy so young, he seemed to have haunted eyes at times. Eyes like the shinobi that fought in the last war. Now, there were times when Harry was so excited that he lit up like a happy five year old should, but those seldomly seemed genuine.

"I was thinking about getting you a tutor," Kakashi announced, startling Harry away from his food. "You need to learn more of the history of the villages and how to speak properly."

"It's not my fault I can't speak perfectly yet!" Harry responded, only to blush crimson when he heard it come out yet again as English. _Okay maybe I do need a few lessons_.

"Hmm… I wonder if I could convince Gai to teach you. Maybe make it into some sort of challenge…." Harry could barely hear Kakashi's mutterings but still felt a chill down the back of his spine.

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"Yosh! My esteemed rival has revealed a new challenge for me! I am to teach you how to speak proper Japanese, and I will complete this before he is able to teach you chakra control. I will win or I will do one thousand push-ups and sit-ups! If I cannot do that I will do one hundred laps around Konoha on my hands!" Gai struck a pose and grinned manically, which terrified the poor five year old.

And so began the first day of Harry's training. He woke at seven, cooked breakfast with Kakashi, and then began his lessons. Kakashi failed his team of genin so he was able to focus his time outside of missions on helping Harry train. Kakashi decided to continue working with him on his speed and accuracy in throwing the ninja weapons on top of helping him with chakra control.

Harry went to see Gai afterwards and was forced into the man's crazy teaching traditions. Gai believed that learning was part mind and part body, so before they began his Japanese lessons, the two of them went on a two-hour run to 'prepare his mind for youthful learning'.

In the late afternoon, Kakashi showed Harry how to meditate and work on locating his chakra.

"These exercises will help you learn chakra control. If you are not focused, you won't be able to utilize your chakra for jutsu."

So, Harry spent the whole afternoon with a leaf placed on his forehead, trying to keep it balanced while he meditated. Chakra was something that was very foreign to him. It was so different from magic, and he was not used to something other than magic being used as a source of power; therefore, the leaf stubbornly refused to stick to his skin for more than a few seconds.

"Don't get frustrated or you will lose focus and your concentration will be shot." Kakashi's advice seemed helpful but did not make the exercise any easier.

They went back to Kakashi's apartment that night with Harry's head hung dejectedly toward the ground.

"Don't worry Hari, no one gets this on their first try. Or their second try. Focusing your chakra for someone your age is very difficult, but if you practice and work hard, it will become second nature to you one day."

"Thanks, Kakashi," Harry said, grateful for the optimism in Kakashi's words. They walked in a comfortable silence until Harry's stomach rumbled loudly, much to his embarrassment. He looked up sheepishly at his guardian.

"I suppose we should stop and get some dinner first," Kakashi stated while chuckling. He was starting to grow fond of his ward and beginning to believe that he made the right choice in volunteering to look after him.

:::::

Harry's training routine was the same every day until a week passed and Harry had two visitors after lunch. Shikamaru and Chouji came by to see if he wanted to play ninja with them. Harry looked up at Kakashi with hopeful eyes.

"Of course Hari can go with you. But be sure to be back for your chakra control training later tonight." Harry cheered and leapt toward his new friends.

"Thanks, Kakashi! See you later!" Harry yelled out the door, waving jauntily. Kakashi watched him go with a small smile gracing his covered face.

"Hey everybody! This is Hari, and he is here to play ninja with us!" Chouji remarked happily as the three joined a group of kids running around in an odd pattern Harry couldn't figure out. One of the boys approached Harry and leaned into his face, inspecting him.

"He seems a little too young to play with us," the boy said finally, and Harry couldn't help but feel disappointed. He didn't know whether it was his past self wanting to finally be included in the kids' games, or if his new five-year-old self really was upset over it.

"Oh, come on Akiyo, he is only two years younger than us, and he has already started training to be a ninja so I think that qualifies him to play with us," Chouji retorted.

"Too bad Akimichi, I say he's too young, and I don't want him to play with us!" the boy named Akiyo hollered at them.

"Tsk, troublesome. Chouji, we will find people to make our own ninja game," Shikamaru stated and turned to walk off. As Chouji and Harry caught up with him, he looked at Harry and said, "Don't worry about those kids. They are from civilian families and don't understand the importance of Clans sticking together."

"What are Clans exactly?" Harry had heard others referring to 'Clan business' or 'Clan heads', but he wasn't sure what all of it meant.

"Clans are what make ninja villages strong, with either unique jutsu known only to members of a particular clan, or Kekkei Genkai, particular abilities that are passed down genetically. Civilian ninja are important, too, of course, but the clans are what give every village a unique set of strengths and weaknesses." Shikamaru explained.

"Hmm…." Harry thought over the information about bloodline limits. _The fates told me I would have one of those, but my animagus form wouldn't be it. I wonder what it could be then?_

Harry heard a commotion coming from where the kids were playing the ninja game. A blond boy had come up to them apparently wanting to play as well. Harry stared as he watched a couple of parents swoop in and practically carry their children away from the boy. He noticed the parents' glares at the child, and Harry wondered what he had possibly done to warrant that reaction.

He followed the boy with his eyes as the kid walked dejectedly toward a single swing to play by himself.

"Hey, Shikamaru?" Harry said softly, not wanting to be overheard.

"Hmm?"

"Why did those parents pull their kids away and glare at the blond kid? Did he do something wrong?"

"Ah, that is Uzumaki Naruto. He is in our class at the Academy and is a prankster." Shikamaru put his hands behind his head and sighed. "All the adults have always hated Naruto for some reason and tell their kids to not talk to him, even before he was pranking people all the time. I asked dad about it, but he wouldn't tell me why."

"So does your dad hate him too?"

"No, both our dads told us to make our own decision," Chouji piped in. "Naruto is loud and annoying sometimes, but he is funny so I don't mind him."

Harry glanced at Shikamaru, waiting for his response. Shikamaru sighed. "Naruto is troublesome and kind of an idiot, but he's not a bad guy. He doesn't deserve all the hate he receives from the adults."

Harry nodded, secretly glad that his two new friends weren't the type to pick on someone just because others did. He was reminded of his childhood as Harry Potter when he was bullied and ignored because of his cousin. He knew how terribly lonely it was to be left out of all the games by the other kids.

_I also know how devastating it is to have everyone hate you_, Harry thought bitterly, reminiscing about his fifth year when the whole school and the media hated him. _But at least I had some friends on my side then. This boy doesn't have anybody._

"Chouji! Shikamaru! It's time for you to come back home for Clan training." An older man in a shinobi uniform came over and gestured for the two boys to follow him.

"What a drag," Shikamaru mumbled. He stuck his hands in his pockets and lazily started to follow the shinobi. "See you later Hari."

"Bye Hari!" Chouji said enthusiastically. "We will definitely get our own group together to play next time!"

"Bye guys," Harry replied, waving his hand. "And next time, maybe we could invite that blond kid?"

The boys both uttered their assent, and Harry walked back to his apartment much happier than before. He had two new friends and had the potential to help someone who really needed a friend as well. _I will never let someone be alone like I was ever again if I can help it._

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To Kakashi's chagrin, Harry soaked up all the Japanese lessons very quickly, and after only a week and a half, a triumphant Gai strutted around the village to let everyone know of his latest victory over his rival.

"YOSH, I HAVE BEEN VICTORIOUS IN A CHALLENGE OF MY RIVAL'S CHOOSING! THE SPRINGTIME OF YOUTH HAS YET AGAIN TRIUMPHED OVER THE HIP KAKASHI!"

Even though the two were inside their apartment, Kakashi and Harry could hear Gai's shouts through the walls.

"Does he always do this when he wins?" Harry asked cautiously.

"I have come to realize I should never assume anything when it comes to Gai," Kakashi casually replied.

"Kakashi." Harry glanced at his guardian with pleading eyes. "Please please, never, ever instigate a competition between the two of you ever again."

"I WILL RUN ONE HUNDRED LAPS AROUND KONOHA IN CELEBRATION! IF I CAN NOT COMPLETE THAT, I WILL WALK FIFTY LAPS AROUND KONOHA ON MY HANDS!" With his final statement, Gai set off to begin his multitude of laps around the village. Sighs of relief were heard all around as soon as Gai left the villagers alone.

Kakashi gave Harry his famous eye smile. "Don't worry, Hari. I won't initiate one ever again." Harry grinned with relief written across his face.

:::::

Instead of discontinuing Harry's lessons, Gai decided he would teach him hand-to-hand combat.

"We will begin with the Academy level tai-jutsu. Though with your small size," Harry glared, "we might have to incorporate some variations for you." Gai showed Harry the katas he would be practicing and helped him perfect the motions. Harry's body slowly began to adapt to the new routines, and he became faster and more agile as the practice continued. _Maybe there was a method to the madness of Gai's insane traditions after all_?

Genma, who had started to become a regular addition to Harry's daily life, decided he would teach Harry proper manners, including the correct honorifics to use and how to bow. He thought it was quiet funny to see the little boy struggle so much on a simple bow.

"Hari, it's very simple. The depth of the bow determines the respect or familiarity you have with the person you are bowing to." Genma showed him yet again an example of a bow used for a Kage. Harry threw his head down too fast and his momentum brought him forward to the ground.

Genma chuckled as Harry stared at him darkly. _I never had to bow to anyone in the Wizarding World! Come to think of it, that odd wizard Degalus Diggle bowed me to once when I was a kid. _Thinking about that encounter forced Harry into a fit of giggles.

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All of his lessons were tough and demanding, but Harry was feeling stronger and healthier than he had ever felt in his life.

_I am given regular meals and exercising, two things that never happened with the Dursleys if I didn't count running from Dudley during his favorite game Harry Hunting or weeding the garden. I wonder if I'll be able to grow to a more normal height instead of the scrawny 5'5" I used to be. Then I would be able to be an even stronger shinobi!_

Harry paused, surprised at the new development in his goals. He wanted to be a shinobi? He had been going through the motions, learning katas and how to throw a kunai, but he never desired to be a heartless killer. And yet, his subconscious aspired to become a strong ninja.

_Maybe there is a way to be a strong shinobi without having to kill?_

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QUESTION: Should Iruka adopt Naruto? I have been thinking about it, and I'm not sure whether this should happen or not. What do you guys think?

Yay for chapter 6! I am very happy that I finally got this one done. I had to do a lot of brainstorming so that's why this chapter is coming out a little later than usual. But next up Sasuke comes into the picture in either the next chapter or the one after that! And in the next few chapters, Harry's sister will finally appear! I would love to hear any ideas or criticisms you guys have. Reviews are always appreciated and help me continue wanting to write even faster! Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

-EmLights


	7. Chapter 7: Forming Bonds

And here is the next chapter! Thank you to everyone who has been keeping up with my story! The next chapter is already in the works, so be ready for that one soon!

So Read and Review! (:

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IT'S MY BIRTHDAY! YAYYYY!

::

And as always, thank you to my amazing beta Orodruin for staying with me all this time. You are awesome.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or Naruto, but I really wish I did. ):

-EmLights

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The Next Great Adventure

"To the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure" – Albus Dumbledore (HPSS, Chapter 17)

Chapter 7: Forming Bonds

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With his new eyesight, hitting targets actually came pretty easy for Harry. And not having to deal with flimsy glasses any longer proved to be most advantageous to his improvements in his training. Though he wasn't strong enough to throw the kunai very hard, seven times out of ten he hit the bulls-eye.

Though it took Harry a few extra weeks of training, he finally had a breakthrough with his chakra control. Once he figured out that chakra was channeled through his body like wandless magic, he was able to balance the leaf easier and longer each time he tried. His mind went to his lessons with Snape during the beginning of the war.

"_Potter, you must focus! The Dark Lord will be using every advantage he possesses against you. If you are unable to gain some decent dueling skills, you will fail and all our work will be for naught." _

_Harry coughed and struggled to catch his breath, his hands placed on his knees. He wiped the sweat off his brow and held his right hand up again in preparation. Snape gave him no warning before sending an array of curses his direction. Harry ducked and fired a half formed curse with his hand toward the oncoming attacks. _

"_Potter, pay attention to where you are shooting your spells! A missed attack is a failed attack and will only be you wasting your power." Harry stopped moving as Snape approached him with a sneer. "And I have to say, Potter, that was pretty pathetic. Even if that spell had hit me, it would have only paused me for a second." _

_Harry winced and forced down a spiteful retort. Even though Snape and Harry had put aside their past aggression toward each other, Snape never wasted an opportunity to knock Harry down a notch. His sneer softened as he continued._

"_You are not channeling your magic into your hand correctly. With wandless magic, there is no wand to channel the magic in your core to the desired destination. You have to use your body as the wand and your hand as the release point. Now, again!"_

_These lessons continued until Harry was able to cast all types of spells wandlessly, making Snape, though he denied it until the end, an extremely proud mentor. _

Even though his chakra control was improving, he was having no headway with his wandless magic. Every night before he went to bed, he would meditate and concentrate on his magical core and try to cast a lumos into his hand. The now familiar jolt of pain still shot down his arm, becoming a throbbing ache throughout the entire appendage. He knew he probably should stop trying, that this was probably causing more harm than was necessary, but he just couldn't give up the hope that his magic would come back to him.

Kakashi was pleased with Harry's progress. The little five year old was improving rapidly with his speed, accuracy, chakra control, and now learning the basics of taijutsu.

"You may become a talented shinobi after all," Kakashi announced after Harry finished going through the katas of the basic Leaf taijutsu form while balancing a leaf to his forehead using chakra control. Harry grinned cheekily.

"Yeah, one day I'll be even better than you!" He began skipping happily around Kakashi with the leaf still firmly attached to his forehead.

"You'd have to be able to catch me first!" Kakashi took off. Harry laughed and cheerfully chased after him. The both of them enjoyed the brief moment where they could act like kids, though in Harry's case it was more like acting his own apparent age.

After three months of being in the Hidden Leaf Village, Harry had steadily become more relaxed around Kakashi as they spent more and more time together. Though Kakashi never admitted it aloud, he was very happy Harry had come into his life. All of his family had been taken from him and the only one still around would be his sensei's son, and he wasn't allowed to approach him. If the Yondaime's only student left started to act familiar to Naruto before he was a shinobi, people could possibly make the connection of Naruto's birthparents and would lead to him getting many dangerous enemies.

Harry enjoyed his time with Kakashi immensely. Kakashi always tended to brighten Harry's day and more and more became like the older brother he had always wished for. Even Gai and Genma had wormed their way into Harry's heart and acted like doting Uncles, helping Harry grow as a shinobi and as a happy and healthy young boy. Though they were only a few years older than his past self, Harry looked up to all three of them very much. He was learning new things every day from each of them and appreciated everything they had done for him.

"Let's go get some lunch, Hari," Kakashi said when he noticed the boy slowing down and taking deep breaths. "And Genma said he would drop by to see if you wanted to go and train with him."

Harry grinned up at Kakashi but was still too out of breath to answer. Kakashi took this as a yes and started to meander back to the apartment, pulling out a familiar orange book to read while checking over his shoulder to make sure Harry was following.

On his walk back to the apartment, Harry felt a jolt shoot up his arms. He hissed in response, but the painful sensation went away as quickly as it appeared. _What was that?_ Harry wondered. _Did I push myself too far today?_ He flexed his arms instinctively, waiting to see if the pain would reoccur. Harry saw Kakashi falter briefly in front of him, most likely checking to see if he was okay. Harry continued his walk to the apartment and after a few moments of moving his arms about, he shook his head and dismissed it as a fluke. _It was probably nothing after all._

They arrived at Kakashi's apartment, and Harry ordered Kakashi to sit and let him fix them some lunch. Kakashi sat down at the table at Harry's insistence and watched the boy scurry around the kitchen with interest. Harry's taste in food was… more eccentric than he was used to. Just the night before, Harry made a bizarre casserole of ingredients that was odd but strangely delicious.

"Here!" Harry exclaimed, setting down a surprisingly normal plate of onigiri in between his seat and Kakashi's. "Genma showed me how to make these the other day. Now I can make normal food too!"

Kakashi smiled under his mask at the excitement his young charge was showing when talking about learning how to cook new food. He personally didn't see the interest in cooking anything; his idea of a good home cooked meal was instant noodles. The perk of having a cook in the house, though, was always having a homemade meal, and this was definitely a good thing in Kakashi's book.

"Something smells good in here!" Genma's head popped through the window before he climbed into the kitchen. Harry had learned very quickly that windows were much more popular for ninja to use than doors.

"Yep, I cooked lunch!" Harry piped up, hurrying over to make Genma a plate as well. Genma grinned happily at the food placed in front of him and he tucked in.

"So, Hari," he began through mouthfuls of food, "would you like to come and do a bit of special training with me today?" Harry's eyes lit up. Special training was his favorite. Last time they had special training Genma had him stalking one of the chunnin instructors for a good twenty minutes before said chunnin caught on. The training now consisted of him stalking anyone and everyone at different times each day to see how long he could go without getting caught. Genma said it was good stealth training for when he became a ninja.

"Yes, of course!" Harry agreed immediately. He finished his lunch quickly and Kakashi waved him off when he started picking the dishes up.

"You cooked, so I'll clean. Go ahead and start your special training with Genma." Kakashi gave his famous eye smile and shooed the two of them out the window.

Genma led him across rooftops and stopped on a roof overlooking the main street. It was bustling with afternoon shoppers and shinobi traveling through.

"Okay Hari! This training is going to be a little different than the usual stealth training we've been doing." Genma pointed at a young teenage girl looking at a jewelry stand and gazing at a pair of sparkly earrings.

"Now, that girl in the purple dress. Is she a kunoichi or a civilian?" Harry narrowed his eyes to stare at the girl, but nothing out of the ordinary stuck out to him.

"Err… civilian?" Genma smirked and shook his head.

"She's been a genin for a few years now," Genma stated, and Harry's eyes widened before turning to gawk at the girl in a new light. "Look closely. Watch the way that she instinctively glances at her surroundings. Notice the swift and lucid way her body moves and see the trained muscles flex in her arms and calves. Also, try to notice the kunai impression on the outside of her thigh."

Harry tried his best to notice everything Genma was saying, proud when he was able to spot the kunai strapped to her thigh and saw her body flex instinctively as a passing merchant brushed against her shoulder.

"Being able to determine whether the people around you are shinobi or civilians is vital to your survival when on a mission outside the village. So today you will be trying to find the off-duty shinobi in the crowd. We won't get too detailed for your first time, but later on we will start trying to get you to determine what level the shinobi is. When you become better at noticing the details, you will be able to determine what kind of a threat the foreign shinobi is and whether you would be able to take them on or need a quick escape."

Harry sat dutifully in a comfortable spot on the roof and started to scrutinize the crowd, searching for any of the details Genma had mentioned. Genma surprised him by jumping down and buying them both a whole box of dango.

"People watching is much better when you have a delicious snack," Genma said innocently, munching on his first stick of dango.

"Don't lie Genma, you just always want dango."

Genma chose not to reply.

They sat on the roof together eating dango, and watched as the shinobi and civilians passed by. Harry spent the time guessing, with Genma confirming or correcting, and he got it right about half of the time.

"This is the best training session ever!" Harry exclaimed after about half an hour.

"Don't tell Kakashi that, or he might get jealous," Genma replied, causing Harry to erupt in childish giggles—though the excess of sugar Harry had consumed might have been the cause of his laughter.

Harry slowly started to become a little more proficient at spotting the differences between the civilians and shinobi, though the off-duty jounin still fooled him most of the time. Genma made him feel a little better by telling him it took him years to be able to notice the high ranked jounin hidden in crowds. After finishing all of their dango, Genma stated the special training session was over and started to head back to the apartment. On the way there, Harry glimpsed his friends Shikamaru and Chouji and they waved him over. Genma pushed him towards his friends, and Harry wandered over to where they were playing.

"Hey, Hari, we haven't seen you in a while," Chouji said while munching on some chips. Harry rubbed the back of his neck, a habit he had picked up from Kakashi.

"Well, I'm going to be starting the academy soon so Kakashi has been helping me get ready for it."

"Sounds like you are going to be really bored in there if you already know everything," Shikamaru commented. "Though it's always boring there, especially the first year, so I guess it doesn't matter."

"Well Kakashi graduated early when he was younger, and I'm kind of hoping that I can be like him and graduate early too," Harry replied shyly—it was the first time he had said it aloud. He didn't want Kakashi to know what he was aspiring for in case he was disappointed when Harry didn't succeed.

"I heard it is really hard to do that, but I'm sure you can do it, Hari!" Chouji stated confidently, giving Harry a warm smile. Harry responded with his own, grateful that the boys didn't make fun of his ambition.

"So, do you guys have time to play another game of ninja?" Harry asked hopefully. Shikamaru glanced at his watch.

"Actually, Chouji and I are late for dinner at his house already." This was verified by a large shinobi from Chouji's clan trying to catch their attention. "Next time for sure though."

"Oh yeah, Hari, before we go, we promised one of the boys in our class that we would introduce you to him," Chouji stated. "Kiba is from the Inuzuka clan, which is the clan that raises and fights with nin dogs. He wanted to see your wolf form. And then we can all play ninja tag!"

"Yeah, that sounds fun! And I haven't really transformed in a while, so it will be nice to let Moony come out and stretch his legs." All three of the boys grinned.

"Want to meet us outside the Academy after school ends tomorrow? We can show you around, as well, since you are going to be starting there soon." Harry nodded in consent, eager to grab any excuse to hang out with his two friends, and headed back to his own apartment where Kakashi would be waiting.

::::

While Harry was out with Genma, Kakashi was summoned to the Hokage's office for a meeting.

"So how has our young Hari been? Have you noticed any oddities about him to help figure out where he could be from?"

"Nothing other than not knowing what chopsticks were," Kakashi replied with a slow shrug. "Other than that, he really just seems like a normal young boy that had to grow up too fast."

"We've put out word about his sister, but so far there have been no leads. I don't want him to be fretting about her still being missing. Has he remembered anything more about his sister?"

"He hasn't really mentioned her at all since he came into my care, so I don't think he has remembered anything, but I will ask him later." Kakashi replied.

The Hokage hummed thoughtfully.

"I have been thinking about Hari's special situation, and I have decided that in might be time to incorporate him into the Academy. He should be training with children his own age. His training with you has been very beneficial, but now he needs to learn from his peers about teamwork and what it means to have the Will of Fire."

::::

The next day during training, Kakashi called him over after Harry finished going through his training course for the third time. He was only a bit winded, his body having built the necessary muscle to complete the tasks Kakashi dealt out for him day after day.

"That's enough for now. I've talked to the Hokage and the first year academy teacher, and we've decided that if you are willing, you can start your classes beginning next week."

"Yes!" Harry cheered, hopping enthusiastically around Kakashi, all the weariness from training forgotten.

"Also, the Hokage wanted me to make sure you were alright with how everything is going so far." Harry looked up at him curiously, not really understanding the question. Kakashi continued, "Well, you came here searching for your sister, and we haven't been able to locate her yet. The Hokage has all of his networks putting word out to keep an eye out for a girl searching for a boy named Hari, but no leads have come up so far. Have you remembered anything else about her that would help in the search? I'm sorry for not asking how you were about this earlier."

Harry looked down guiltily. He had almost completely forgotten about the so-called sister that was supposed to be coming after him. But he didn't even know who she was or when she was going to be arriving in this world, so it had just slipped his mind.

"I'm… okay. I haven't remembered anything about her, but I know she will come sooner or later. I'm sure of it," Harry responded confidently, giving Kakashi a big smile. "And I really like living with you and training with you, Gai, and Genma. You guys have really become like a family to me." Harry blushed immediately after realizing what he had just said. He didn't mean to comment on his feelings toward his guardian out loud, especially because he didn't want Kakashi to reject him.

Kakashi patted Harry on the head and gave him his famous eye smile.

"I couldn't agree more."

Harry's heart fluttered at that statement. Both his nineteen-year-old self and his five-year-old self yearned for family, and Kakashi's offhand reply made Harry want to cry of happiness. He tried to play it off nonchalantly as they walked back home for lunch, but he knew Kakashi noticed the insuppressible grin plastered on his face and not-so-casual movement of wiping his sleeve against his tear-swollen eyes.

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"A speaker, you say?" The quiet, haunting voice asked.

"Yes. He is a snake with no scales. He is one of our kin. You are not allowed to hurt him, or I will eat you," the summon bared his poisonous fangs to show the seriousness of his threat.

"Hurt the boy? Oh, no, I have plans for this one... I can't wait to meet him. Ku ku ku..."

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End of Chapter 7

Yay! I'm so happy to be done with this chapter! I can't tell you guys how incredibly sorry I am that it has been so long since my last update. I am in my last semester of college and well, it definitely caught up with me. But I graduate in August and then I will be able to write to my heart's content!

**As always, constructive critisizm is welcome and I love hearing everyone's opinions and reviews! So please, leave a comment, whether you love it or hate it or have any ideas cause it's all of you that make me want to continue to write!**


	8. Chapter 8:Wolves, Spars, Growing Pains

Hello all of my lovely readers! Good news! I graduated college last week, so now I will have loads of time to dedicate to writing (: I am very excited about this.

This chapter has a lot happening so sorry if it feels rushed. But I just couldn't wait until next chapter to have… well I guess you will find out!

Thanks again to my wonderful beta Orodruin, you are amazing.

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or Naruto, but I really wish I did.

-EmLights

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The Next Great Adventure

"To the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure" – Albus Dumbledore (HPSS, Chapter 17)

Chapter 8: Wolves, Spars, and Growing Pains

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Harry ambled down the street toward the Academy to wait for Shikamaru and Chouji to show him around. Kakashi had put him through a grueling training practice that morning so he could have the afternoon off to see his friends. He arrived at the Academy a little early, and he sat on the nearby swing to amuse himself by twirling around in circles.

While he was waiting, he decided to try channeling his magic into his hand again. He'd been doing exercises nightly to try and get his magic to react to him like before, but so far it only caused pain and a numb feeling in his hands.

_I know if I try hard enough, it will work! It has to work_, he thought desperately. _It's the only thing I have to connect me to my past and all my friends I've left behind._

"Lumos," he whispered, holding out his right hand and concentrating, forcing the old familiar presence of magic into his hand. The now very familiar pain shot down his arm, coursing through his fingers like lightning. He hissed involuntarily and stopped attempting the spell. His right hand stung for about fifteen minutes before falling into a relieving state of numbness. The pain in his arm had lasted longer than it had previously, and that made him frown.

_This could be a definite problem. _

Harry heard noise coming from inside the building and a few seconds later, kids spilled out into the front of the Academy.

"Kiba, here is the boy we've been telling you about!" Chouji said happily, leading a wild looking boy over to the swing Harry was currently occupying. Harry jumped off the swing and ambled over to where Chouji and Shikamaru were standing.

"Hi, I'm Harry," he stated, smiling up at the much taller seven year old. The boy reminded him of a young Remus, except that this boy's canine features were evident on his face.

"I'm Kiba," the boy replied excitedly. "I hear you can turn into a wolf. Can I see?" Kiba's announcement was a little loud, and a few of the academy students overheard and began peering over at Harry.

"Of course," Harry said, glancing uneasily at the growing crowd. Even now, he still wasn't used to being at the center of attention. He transformed into Moony, and the other seven year olds gasped in surprise.

"Aw, he is so cute!"

"That's so cool! Can he teach us how to do that?"

"I wish I could take him home!"

Moony preened under the attention, but Harry sat a little stiff as some of the Academy students pet his fur. A flash of orange caught his eye, and Harry turned to see the young blond he remembered from the playground a month back. He froze for a second, his heart sinking as he recalled his promise to make friends with the lonely little boy. Determined to make up for his forgetfulness, Harry bounded over to the boy and tackled him to the ground, wagging his tail playfully and barking. The boy laughed out loud and began to chase Harry around the yard.

"Leave him alone, Naruto!" A blonde girl screeched. A few of the other kids started yelling at him as well, but Harry decided to stop this before it escalated too quickly and transformed back.

"Hari stay back, our parents said he is dangerous!"

"I want to play with him," Harry called out to the kids who were yelling. "Naruto is going to be my new friend!" He grinned at the shocked faces, but none were more shocked than Naruto. He stared gaping at Harry, looking as though he didn't dare believe what the boy had said. So Harry, taking advantage of the boy's hesitation, grabbed his hand and pulled him over the Shikamaru, Chouji, and Kiba.

"Let's all go play ninja!" Harry exclaimed. "You guys can show me around the Academy some other time. I want to have fun with my new friends!"

:::::

Kakashi peered from behind a tree at the young kids playing the in yard. He couldn't help but grin proudly at Harry's announcement of friendship to Naruto.

_At least my kid can see past the ridiculous judgmental comments made by most everyone else in the village_. Kakashi choked as he realized what he had just thought.

_My kid, eh? _He slipped into the safety of the trees to head to his favorite training ground. He needed to stop this line of thought before it became dangerous.

:::::

Harry had a blast playing with Shikamaru, Chouji, Kiba, and Naruto. Watching the orange boy beam happily at him every time he looked his way made the whole day worth it.

"And just think, soon I'm going to be going to the Academy with you guys too! I mean, I won't be in your class or anything but at least I'll get to be there!"

Shikamaru looked at him thoughtfully.

"You said you've been training under Hatake Kakashi ever since you came here right?" Harry nodded his agreement.

"Humph, troublesome. I doubt you'll last a week in the lower classes."

"Whatd'ya mean by that!" Naruto yelled, growling in Shikamaru's direction. "Hari-kun is going to do great! He won't fail, believe it!"

"That's not what I meant Naruto." Shikamaru rubbed his forehead in annoyance. "I meant that Hari is probably going to be too advanced for those lower classes and will end up getting moved to a more difficult class. But that's just my guess."

"Well Kakashi said I was almost to genin level now," Harry said nonchalantly as the other four boys stared in shock. "So I guess it wouldn't be too strange to be moved up a class or two."

"Hari, you are just full of surprises," Kiba announced with a grin. "Glad that I got to meet you before you went and become a big famous ninja out there."

"I'm the last person who wants to be famous, trust me on that one," Harry said confidently. He chuckled a little on the inside. _These guys have no idea._

"I just want to make Kakashi proud." He added softly. His response surprised even himself. Since when did Kakashi's opinion of him matter more than just trying to fit into this new life?

::::

Harry left the boys to venture out on his own heading to his apartment. Naruto didn't want to stop playing, but Harry promised him they would do it again soon and the boy finally agreed to head home as well.

He decided to travel as Moony, since he rarely used his wolf form anymore, and the day had reminded him how much he loved it. He passed a delightful smelling shop filled with exotic herbal aromas when he came across a boy he'd seen pass by him at the Academy before spotting Shikamaru and Chouji.

_Maybe he is in class with them as well?_ Harry wondered while Moony decided he wanted to follow him. The scent coming from the boy was burning ember and something else even Moony couldn't identify so he was curious. Feeling a bit like a stalker but justifying it as practice in stealth, he followed the boy through the village, keeping to the shadows. The black haired boy in question began looking over his shoulder every now and again, and Harry would dart into bushes and behind trashcans to avoid being seen.

Harry began grinning, showing off his baby canines. This was fun! It reminded him of Genma's special training and he couldn't wait to tell his older friend about it.

Harry turned a corner and hesitated. The boy had disappeared. He sniffed and could still smell the ember but didn't see the young ninja anywhere. Harry was about to transform back into himself when he was suddenly picked up from behind. He began panicking before realizing it was the boy from before.

"There you are! Why have you been following me? Are you lost?" The boy studied Harry for a moment before tucking him under his arm and walking in a completely different direction.

"Now whom do you belong to? The Inuzuka's?" the boy muttered to himself, smiling shyly at Harry. "I thought they only trained dogs though, not wolves." Harry, still trying to decide whether to show himself or not, hung limply in the boy's arm.

"But if you don't belong to anyone, want to stay with me? My nii-san is always too busy for me so it would be nice to have someone to play with." Harry just nodded, surprising the boy. "Hmm, so you must be pretty smart then. Maybe you'll be a good ninja wolf when you get older."

_This boy must be pretty lonely if he wants to play with a wolf pup._ Harry thought. _But why doesn't he play with the other kids in the Academy then? _He decided then that he would make sure to become this boy's friend too. He hopped out of the boys arm and transformed, smirking at the boy's dropped jaw.

"Hi, my name's Harry," he said, rubbing his hair with embarrassment. "Sorry for following you. My wolf thought you smelled good so he wanted to meet you. And I wanted to test my stealth by hiding… though it seems I may need more practice." He grinned sheepishly.

"Hnn, I'm Sasuke. How'd you turn into a wolf? Is it a Kekkai Genkai?"

"Um, I guess you could say that. I don't think I could teach anyone how to do it."

Sasuke nodded. "Hnn. That's pretty cool. Well I'm off to go train, so I'll see you."

"Uh, wait. Would you mind if I trained with you? I've only ever trained with older people and never someone close to my age." Sasuke raised his eyebrow.

"Do you think you can keep up? You're pretty young." Harry nodded fervently. "Alright, come on, I'll teach you a few things, but if you're too slow I'll leave you behind."

Sasuke led him to the woods close to the Uchiha compound. They arrived to an open area, and Harry spotted wooden posts that were very worn and battered with holes. Sasuke started to run through the Academy katas as warm-up, and Harry went through the version that Gai taught him. They went through some throwing drills, and Sasuke seemed surprised Harry wasn't lying about his training. That made him curious to how strong Harry really was.

"Who trained you?" he asked suddenly, startling Harry out of his focus on the target. The younger boy faltered and brought his kunai back to his side.

"My guardian Hatake Kakashi, his friend Gai, and my neighbor Genma." Sasuke's eyes widened at the name Hatake Kakashi, remembering his brother mention it a few times in conversations with their father. _This boy must be pretty strong then._

Sasuke peered down at Harry thoughtfully.

"… So, do you want to spar?" He asked.

Harry grinned and agreed immediately. He'd never sparred against someone so close to his own physical age, and wanted to gauge his ability against someone in the Academy. Kakashi, Gai, and Genma were great sparring partners, but they always went easy on him and infuriatingly still always won.

Harry followed Sasuke to a nearby training field not far from where Harry usually trained. He felt chakra that notified him that Kakashi was most likely watching him. _I'd better show him that I can keep up with the Academy kids or he might not let me attend._

"First to draw blood, then?" Sasuke inquired and Harry nodded. That seemed to be the best way to identify a winner. If they fought to a forfeit, some shinobi wouldn't give up until they passed out or were too injured to move. That would not be a good way to end a friendly spar.

"Okay, begin!"

Both boys hesitated for a second before Sasuke charged in close, and they began testing each other with tai-jutsu.

Sasuke's arms and legs were longer, and he was stronger than Harry—the smaller boy was quickly put on the defensive, and he felt every punch that he blocked connect with his forearms with bruising force. After taking two such blows, Harry jumped back to open the distance between them.

He wasn't expecting the ball of fire that was thrown his way, and he only just managed to dodge, staining his clothes with grass as he tumbled across the ground in a controlled roll. Apparently, Sasuke was way ahead of his classmates if he was able to perform fire jutsu on that level. He'd have to be careful not to get caught or he'd be seriously burnt.

Harry threw a series of shuriken that had Sasuke dancing back in a retreat and gave him a few precious seconds to think of a strategy. Kakashi hadn't started teaching him any nin-jutsu yet, and in this match up, nin-jutsu would win over close range fighting.

_If Kakashi is watching, maybe this will be a good motivation for him to see that he needs to start teaching me nin-jutsu, h_e mused with a touch of irritation.

A plan was slowly forming in his mind. He threw a smoke bomb and began sprinting head on toward Sasuke as plumes of thick, gray smoke engulfed their training area. Using chakra to enhance his muscles, he flipped over the boy's head while Sasuke coughed on the fumes. The smoke dissipated as Harry landed lightly on his feet, and he crouched under the expected kick coming from an annoyed Sasuke.

His duck turned into a sweeping kick against Sasuke's sole supporting leg and the older boy stumbled off balance. Harry threw the kunai still in his left hand and smirked as it nicked Sasuke's side as the Academy student was a little too late turning his tumble into a roll.

Sasuke corrected his balance and rubbed a fist against his side where Harry had hit him. The kunai had barely scraped him, but it was enough to break the skin. A little smear of red appeared on Sasuke's hand.

With the realization that their fight was over, the adrenalin slowly began to drain from Harry's body, and he became aware of the ache from the bruises that must be already forming on his arms, and a sharper pain in his right shoulder. He turned his chin to look, and hissed at the sight of a shuriken protruding from his own flesh, one corner buried maybe three centimeters into his flesh, with a shallower scratch beneath it showing the path of a second blade. He hadn't even noticed in the heat of the moment.

"I have to say I wasn't expecting that," Sasuke admitted grudgingly.

Harry winced as he started to ease the shuriken out of his arm. It hurt more when he pulled, but he knew it wouldn't start to feel better until it was out. "You still beat me," he stated, smiling despite the pain as he held out the other boy's weapon to return it to him, dripping a few drops of his own blood from the tip of one blade. "That's the most fun I've had in a while though. We should definitely spar again soon."

Sasuke nodded. "You're pretty good, kid. Better than most of my classmates. You can spar with me anytime." Harry couldn't help but beam in reply.

_Hari really has improved if he can keep up with an Uchiha two years older than him._ Kakashi thought, as he slowly backed away, leaving the two boys to flesh out their fledgling friendship. _But I guess he really does need to start learning some nin-jutsu…._

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Harry awoke before dawn the next day and mused over the events that occurred the day before. He was excited about the prospect of learning more about his new friends and being able to attend the Academy with them.

_I wonder who will be the study-obsessed Hermione or the lazy but loyal Ron? _He smiled sadly as he remembered his two best friends before placing those memories aside to focus on the new task at hand.

Harry decided to spend the early morning attempting his wandless magic again. He could feel his magic inside, much like how he could feel his chakra thanks to Kakashi, but he just didn't know how to force it out of his body without it sending stabbing pain wherever he tried to focus it.

"How do I fix this? There has to be a way around this pain so I will be able to use my wandless magic again." With a determined glint, he ignored the pain and began practicing with vigor. _If I just keep practicing, it will come back. My magic has to work again._

::::

After attempting his wandless magic all morning, his body started to ache. It started out as a mild annoyance, but every few moments he would feel searing pain as if his blood was on fire, and the moments of relative peace in between grew shorter throughout the day. The pain became worse and worse, until it was starting to inhibit his movements and made training almost unbearable. This lasted for a couple of days, getting increasingly worse much to his chagrin. He was supposed to be starting the Academy in a few days, and Kakashi definitely wouldn't let him if he got any worse.

Kakashi, apparently noticing something was wrong, called an early end to their most recent training session and trailed after him back to the apartment.

"What's wrong?" He looked Harry up and down, searching for a reason for the boy's obvious pain. He didn't see any outward sign of injury, so he turned back to Harry and calmly waited for his explanation.

"Nothing, I guess my body just needed a break today."

"Hmm." Kakashi dropped his inquiry, but Harry could tell he didn't believe his excuse.

Harry knew he should probably tell Kakashi what was going on, but he didn't want to bother Kakashi or anyone else with this problem. Even if he did tell him, what could he say? "I'm trying to gain back my magical ability, but it's only causing me pain?" No, he would only be sent to a psychiatric hospital and then he would never become a shinobi.

_Maybe it will start to go away soon? _He hoped. By the next day however, he could barely move without grimacing. As soon as Harry walked out the door of his bedroom, he collapsed, and Kakashi immediately rushed over to him.

"Hari! What happened?" Kakashi seemed at a loss of what was wrong, so he picked him up and headed out the door instantly as Harry struggled to even breathe, the expansion of his lungs only adding to his pain.

"I don't know what happened," he whispered carefully, wincing as he was jostled in Kakashi's arms. "It's never been this bad before. But it seems as if I can't even move my body anymore."

"This has happened before?" Kakashi stared at him with accusingly. "And you didn't think to tell anyone about this?"

Harry looked away feeling ashamed. "I didn't think it would get this bad. It usually stayed in my arm and would go away eventually. I was going to tell you if it got worse."

"Well, now it's worse, whatever it is. Let's get you to the hospital." Harry let out another hiss of pain as Kakashi turned a corner. The man's tone softened a little and he added, "Don't worry, Hari. We will figure out what it is and make this better."

Kakashi carrying him, even though he was being as careful as possible, was only amplifying his pain. Harry started seeing stars, his vision slightly darkened with bright pinpricks of blinding light burning into his skull. He figured he wouldn't last much longer before he fainted from the pain—at least that would give him some relief.

An airily giggle caught Harry's attention.

"Don't worry Harry. It's only the fata giving you back what you've lost."

A familiar blonde face peered down at him cheerily before he promptly passed out, her name on the tip of his tongue but escaping as nothing more than a sigh of breath.

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End Chapter 8

So finally! Sasuke officially enters the picture! And so does a very important character that I'm sure you can guess!

Next chapter, finding out what is wrong with Harry and a lot of questions will be answered.

Please read and review!

**As always, constructive critisizm is welcome and I love hearing everyone's opinions and reviews! So please, leave a comment, whether you love it or hate it or have any ideas cause it's all of you that make me want to continue to write!**


	9. Chapter 9: Enter Luna

So here is chapter 9! Thanks to my wonderful beta Orodruin. You are the best.

And to anyone who is interested in time travel, I am beginning a HP time travel story called Conversions in Time. I will be posting the second chapter next week, so check it out! (:

-EmLights

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The Next Great Adventure

"To the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure" – Albus Dumbledore (HPSS, Chapter 17)

Chapter 9: Enter Luna

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Harry woke up very groggy. His body felt like stone, and he failed to even succeed at wiggling his fingers. Thankfully, he was able to open his eyes despite the inability to move the rest of his body. He peered around the room, taking in the white walls and plain bed sheets, and for a minute, he thought he was back in the hospital wing at Hogwarts. But instead of finding Hermione sitting next to his bed with a book in hand and Ron lazing about eating his chocolate frogs, he found himself all alone.

_I will forever hate hospitals._

A nurse came in and smiled brightly when she saw he was awake. She looked like a regular civilian except for the callused hands and light scarring on her forearms. It seemed even the healers saw battle at some point, regardless of working in the confines of the hospital.

She shuffled over to check his temperature and his vitals. She had to physically open his mouth to put the thermometer under his tongue, much to his embarrassment. She then took out a rather large needle and for a second, Harry panicked. That was not an ordinary needle. She instead took the syringe and slowly inserted the liquid into a small tube connecting the saline bag to the back of his hand.

"Don't you worry, child, you'll be fine. We have great healers at this hospital, and they will be sure to figure out what is wrong with you." Harry tried to nod but couldn't, and the nurse gave him a sympathetic look.

"Poor dear," he heard her say as she left the room, presumably to get the main healer.

Harry closed his eyes, trying to gauge the damage of his body. He felt a small stinging sensation entering through the needle in his arm and assumed that was the medicine keeping the pain at bay. He groaned pitifully.

_Why is this happening to me? _

Whether it was from exhaustion or just the medicine taking effect, Harry slipped back into a dreamless sleep.

What seemed like only moments later, though it could have been hours for all Harry knew, Gai and Genma appeared in the doorway.

"Hari-chan, how are you holding up?"

"Yosh! My rival told me to let you know that he has escorted the one called "Luna" to the T&I building and will be coming over here after." Harry's eyes widened with fear. _What if she tells them something contradictory to my story? Would they do something to hurt her? _

Gai misread the fear in Harry's eyes.

"Not to worry! If she is your sister, I am sure she is filled with the same youthful fire as you are, and that will bring her to you soon! If not, I will do one thousand push-ups!"

"So, Harry, is that girl your sister? I know you said you don't remember her, but Kakashi said you recognized her before you passed out." Harry tried to nod but instead grimaced in pain. Genma looked apologetic.

"Sorry, I forgot you couldn't move. Uhh, okay, blink once if she is your sister." Harry blinked once, feeling rather silly communicating that way.

"Well, I'm sure she'll be fine then. And Kakashi is there, and he cares about you, so I know he'll make sure she is all right. And maybe later on she can help you recall your memories." The two sat with him for a while, talking about nonsensical things to keep Harry calm and alleviate his worries. But Harry couldn't help but worry.

_Did I do this to myself? By being so desperate to bring my magic back, have I put myself in a paralytic state? What if this is irreversible? What if… what if Kakashi doesn't want me anymore? _He could feel the tears forming in his eyes and was unable to brush them away. Genma, who noticed the tears, sat next to the bed and stroked Harry's hair soothingly.

"It's gonna be okay, Hari," he said softly. "I promise, we are going to do everything we can to find out what's wrong and fix it."

_They don't know anything about magic. What if this isn't something a ninja can fix? _Despite Genma's comforting words, tears continued to cascade down Harry's cheeks.

:::::

A tall cheerful man with a pepper colored beard came through the door in a long white coat and thick black glasses. Genma and Gai automatically shifted to one side of the bed, leaving the other side accessible to the healer.

"Well, if it isn't our mysterious little wolf-boy!" he said with a grin. He placed his hands above Harry's torso, and they began to glow green.

"I'm just running a diagnostic right now to see what the problem is. Our first medic couldn't find anything wrong, but I am the head medic in this hospital so I am confident I'll be able to discover what is causing these symptoms."

Harry studied the head healer as he ran his glowing hands slowly across Harry's body, watching the healer's brow slowly creasing in confusion.

"Hmm," the healer said finally, and his hands receded back to their normal state. "Well, the good news is there isn't anything wrong physically with your body. Bad news is, I don't know why you are in this paralytic state and in pain." He rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"I think I have an idea. Fugioka!" The nice healer from earlier hastily entered the room.

"Yes, Yakushi-san?"

"I would like for you to ask Hyuga Ko to spare a few moments to check our patient here." The girl nodded and quickly left.

"Well, Genma, Gai, could either of you explain the types of activities Hari has been doing the past week?"

About thirty minutes later, a young man with black hair and white eyes came strolling into the room. He briefly glanced at Harry before turning his attention to the head medic.

"What can I do for you, Yakushi-san?"

"I'd like for you to look at this child's chakra coils and see if there are any anomalies. He is unfortunately unable to move and in great pain, but we cannot find anything physically wrong with him." The Hyuga looked puzzled but heeded the medic's request. The man stared down at Harry and suddenly had protruding veins extending from his eyes.

After a few moments of scrutinizing Harry's chakra coils, the Hyuga's eyes returned to normal.

"Well, Hyuga-san?"

"I'm not really sure how to describe it," the Hyuga began slowly, "but it seems as though there is a second set of chakra coils settling in. It appears as if it is merging with his main chakra coils, which is likely the cause of his immobility and the pain the child is in."

"A second set? How is that possible?" Genma asked astonishingly.

"I'm not sure. A kekkai-genkai of sorts?" the head medic responded. "Hyuga-san, how long do you think until the two coils will have completed this merger?"

"Give or take a few days, maybe. It's hard to judge the pace of the coils fusing. I will come check on them in a few hours, and then I'll have a better idea of the duration."

After Gai and Genma thanked him profusely, the Hyuga left them, promising to return later in the day.

"Well, this is good news indeed, Hari-chan. And what an interesting discovery! I can't wait to see how this turns out." The head healer looked positively gleeful, making Harry feel uncomfortable. "Now, we just have to wait."

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A girl, perhaps only 15 or 16 years old, sat in the cold metal chair, humming happily in her seat. Kakashi and the Hokage sat on the other side of the window with Ibiki, studying the girl claiming to be Harry's sister. There wasn't much of a resemblance between the two; her with long, dirty blonde hair, pale gray eyes and delicate features, compared to Hari's dark hair, bright green eyes, and somewhat more angular face.

"She seems… very comfortable for being in an interrogation room," Kakashi commented. The Hokage nodded in agreement.

"Anko!" Ibiki barked out the door. She appeared instantly.

"Yes, captain?"

"I'd like for you to bring your snake in there and talk to her for a bit. See if this girl has the same snake-speaking ability as Hari. It would narrow down the possibility of them being related."

Anko entered the room with Habu across her shoulders. Luna jumped up excitedly and cried, "Oh, so you must be a friend of Harry's! It's so nice to meet you!" She shook the snake's tail vigorously, completely ignoring Anko, and then sat back down with a bright smile across her face.

"…What?" Anko stared slack jawed at the blonde in front of her in disbelief. Ibiki echoed Anko's sentiments. Yes, the girl spoke to the snake…. But not in the snake-language Hari had spoken but in Japanese.

_The girl is not a speaker_, Habu stated to his mistress. _But she does smell like him. They are from the same foreign place I do not know._

"So, ah, Luna right?"

"Yes, I am her. And she is me."

Anko hesitated at the odd response. "Ah, okay. So you are Hari-chan's sister?"

"Yes, Harry and I are now siblings. He came here to look for me, but I wasn't awake yet. Now I'm awake so he can find me."

"You've been asleep this whole time?"

"Well, the fataes called it the in-between, and I did a lot of dreaming while I was in the place they had taken me. So you could say I've been asleep for a long time." Anko stared at her incredulously.

"Who are the fataes?" Luna tilted her head slightly.

"The fataes are just who they are. They let me come here finally so I could be with Harry again."

"She is telling the truth," Ibiki stated, shaking his head slowly. "I'm not sure exactly what it is that she is saying, but it is the truth.

"Poor child," the Hokage said sadly. "Look underneath the underneath. It seems as if these "fataes" were her kidnappers and kept her confined for a long time. That must be why she was separated from her brother. It might have been some traumatic experience with them that caused our Hari to lose his memories."

Kakashi made a promise to himself to give Hari an extra long hug when he went to see him at the hospital. He never realized that the young boy's life could have been so terrible before his arrival in Konoha.

"These "fataes" must have controlled what this Luna could do for the extent of her captivity. But why would they finally let her go after all this time?"

"That is what I intend to find out," Ibiki stated, getting up from the chair and heading into the interrogation room.

"What does your snake have to say about our guest?" Ibiki stated as soon as he entered the room.

"Habu says even though she isn't a speaker, she smells the same as Harry does."

"Hmm. So girl, why were you released from your captivity, and how long were you there for?"

"They said it was finally time I could join Harry. I'm not sure how long I was there; time flows differently than it does here." Luna flashed a huge smile. "I'm just glad I'm able to finally be Harry's sister."

"Do you mean any harm toward our village or the Hokage?"

"Of course not. You took Harry in when he was vulnerable and alone and have cared for him this whole time." Luna bowed her head. "Because of this, I have nothing but love for the Hidden Leaf Village. And because the Hokage reminds me of Headmaster Dumbledore." Ibiki wasn't sure what a Dumbledore was, but the girl's sincerity was apparent. She was no threat to the village or their leader.

::::

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Harry woke up to Luna sitting attentively at his bedside.

"Luna!" he cried excitedly, and then gasped. He was able to speak again! He tried to move his left arm, and it slowly responded to him. His fingers and toes felt like they were on pins and needles, but he grinned regardless. He was going to be able to move again.

"Well, Harry, it's good to finally see you again. Seems the nargles have been here to keep you company." The twinkle in her eyes warmed Harry to the core. She looked exactly the same, her blonde hair filled with wild waves down her back and piercing blue eyes. She only needed her radish earrings and butterbeer necklace to complete her look from her Hogwarts days. Finally a piece of his old life was here right in front of him, and he couldn't be happier.

"Why do you look the same and not like a little kid?" Harry asked with a hint of jealously.

"Well, because I died. So I stayed exactly the same, unlike you, who came here alive and went through the side effects." Harry wished for a moment that he had died before coming here, and then realized he wouldn't be with Kakashi if that had happened. And he probably wouldn't have been trusted to enter into Konoha in the first place, so saw the benefits of his younger body. He breathed deeply and finally decided to get some answers about his physical state.

"Why haven't I been able to use my magic except for my animagus form?" Harry blurted out, voicing his ever-growing fear that had started as soon as he arrived in this world. "The lumos charm, it's the easiest spell I've ever learned. If I haven't been able to perform that one correctly…."

"You couldn't perform it, because magic doesn't exist here. Only Chakra. That's probably why it caused you pain when you attempted to bring it outside your body. Your animagus form changes you from the inside, so it wasn't effected by the chakra in the air." Harry stared at her, still confused, so Luna attempted to explain more clearly.

"Harry, there is chakra everywhere. In the air, the plants, the people. Chakra and magic are not supposed to mix, so when you try and put magic into chakra-filled air, it backfires and causes pain. You have both chakra and magic, but they are separate. That's why you were able to transform into your wolf. But as you have been working and expanding your chakra, attempting magic would only cause more pain. Which is why you are in your current situation."

Harry instantly felt ashamed. He should have known to stop attempting the lumos charm. His nineteen-year-old self saw the stupidity in his actions; however, the five-year-old part of Harry wanted to be able to complete the lumos charm, the simplest spell he knew, so badly that he forgot to think. The outcome was ending up temporarily immobile and stuck in a hospital bed.

"So, I'm never going to be able to use magic again?"

"Of course you will be able to, Harry. Didn't you forget? You have a bloodline limit."

"My bloodline limit was never explained to me!"

"Oh… well I guess that does answer why you've been worried about this then." She paused, and then gave Harry a warm smile. "Sorry, it took me so long to get here and explain things. Your bloodline limit, our bloodline limit, causes your magic and chakra to merge together. This is why you haven't been able to move. It takes a while for the two coils to merge, though in my unique case, mine merged instantly. I guess that's one good thing about dying."

"So, you'll help teach me how to use the bloodline once I can move again?"

"Of course," she replied instantly. "As long as you teach me how to become an animagus."

"Of course I will, Luna. But why do you want to become an animagus all of a sudden?"

"Well, it seems the Hokage thinks that transforming into an animal is an attribute of our family so it only seems appropriate if I learn. And anyways, I've always wanted to be able to fly."

"… But what if your animagus form isn't an animal that flies?"

Luna gave him a small smile before stating, "I've already died so aren't I supposed to have wings?"

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End chapter 9

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Yay, I'm so happy to have completed this chapter! It was difficult. Please write any feedback you have, good or bad. It definitely helps me grow as a writer and see how the readers feel about certain aspects of the story.

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ATTENTION! Everyone, please check out my brand new story, Conversions in Time. It's a Harry Potter time travel story, so if you enjoy those, you should definitely give it a look. I have the first chapter posted, and the next one will be in the next week.

Thanks so much for sticking with my story!

-EmLights


	10. Chapter 10: Bloodlines

Hello everyone!

Sorry this has taken so long, but you know, life gets in the way. I'll try to be much better with updating on time (I've already started the next chapter, no worries!)

Hope you enjoy, let me know what you think!

And a big thank you to my beta, Orodruin!

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The Next Great Adventure

"To the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure" – Albus Dumbledore (HPSS, Chapter 17)

Chapter 10:

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It was early in the morning of Harry's second day in the hospital. The sun was just barely peeping into his room and birds chirped enthusiastically outside his window. He flexed his arm, hardly feeling the tingle that had encompassed his body so strongly the day before. He grinned. _Maybe I'll get out of here sooner than I thought._

He was about to call a nurse about breakfast when a visitor hurtled through the door.

Kakashi entered his room and rushed to his side, giving Harry a bone-crushing hug. Harry saw his visible eye filled with unshed tears for just a moment, though Harry thought he might have imagined it, because it was gone the next time he looked.

"Don't ever worry me like that again," the man whispered, still holding Harry tightly.

"I'm sorry, Kakashi," Harry said meaningfully. "Next time I think I'm hurt, I'll let you know."

Kakashi chuckled. "You better." He released Harry and straightened his jacket, seemingly embarrassed.

"Now, the doctors have told me you are inheriting your bloodline limit, which has caused you all these problems." Harry nodded in agreement. "Do you know what it is?"

"Luna has mentioned a few things to me, but I'm not entirely sure what the bloodline actually entails. She said she would go over it with me when I'm back at home."

Kakashi flinched slightly at the word home. Harry noticed the flinch and suddenly realized what it meant. His heart stopped when he thought about not living with Kakashi as his guardian. He didn't want it to end.

"Kakashi." Harry grabbed his hand. "I don't want to stop living with you. You are family now."

"Well," Kakashi scratched his chin thoughtfully, but Harry could see the grin he hid underneath his mask, "there is a vacant apartment two doors down from mine. Do you think your sister would be okay with you living apart from her? I don't want to cause problems between you two."

"I'll ask her, but I'm sure she would be fine with that." Harry answered thoughtfully.

Kakashi patted Harry's head fondly and ruffled his hair, causing it to stick up like his own.

"Anyways," Harry continued as he tried to smooth his hair back down, " I don't even know what she plans to do yet once she settles in. I'm not sure if she's ever even had a job before."

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"So you're really okay with living in an apartment by yourself?" Harry asked Luna for the third time. She had come to visit him that afternoon, surprising him with a generously sized bag of sweets.

"Of course, Harry. I'm here to be your sister and your supporter, but I'm also your friend. I don't want to separate the bond you have formed with Kakashi."

Harry opened up his mouth to argue, but she interrupted. "And this works out for me, as well. I've always really liked my privacy. It gives me more time to study bizarre creatures that have yet to be discovered. I mean, just think of how many Wrakspurt and Nargle-like creatures are living in this country right now, just waiting to be revealed!"

Harry reached over and pulled Luna in for a hug.

"Don't ever change," he stated softly, squeezing her for a moment before leaning back in the hospital bed.

"So what are you planning to do once you settle in?" Harry asked curiously. He had been thinking about what Luna would want to do since she had arrived, but he hadn't been able to come up with an answer. He could never understand her thought processes, so she always managed to surprise him.

"I don't have developed chakra like you do since I was already past maturity when I arrived here. I don't think I could be a ninja, anyway. After the war, I don't think I want to fight anymore." Luna gave a sad smile before looking out the window. Harry noticed her eyes turn glossy; the nightmares of the past war being replayed like a screen before her, and he shivered, because those same nightmares had been plaguing him, as well.

She shook her head abruptly before clearing her throat. "I'd like to find a peaceful job here so I can enjoy this chance at life that the fata have given me, and also look after you. I know how you always find yourself in the center of trouble. I'll need an army of Opalspoors just to keep an eye on you."

"It's not my fault," Harry grumbled. He was glad that Luna was deciding not to pursue a ninja career. He didn't think he could bear it if something happened to her again. "And what are Opalspoors?"

"They are rocks with the ability to watch over people who attract trouble. They use telepathy to keep constant communication between themselves and notify the observer about the person under surveillance." Luna tilted her head thoughtfully. "They are also very good at watching over babies while they sleep."

"Yes, I'm sure those would be useful." Harry cleared his throat. "I bet you will find a great job here. I'll ask around and see what is available."

"Oh no, you don't have to do that Harry. I'm sure something will present itself to me soon enough."

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Harry had quite a few visitors on his third and final day at the hospital. Shikamaru and Chouji brought Naruto to visit him first thing in the morning as he was trying to enjoy the cardboard-like toast and jam the hospital had given him for breakfast. Chouji had had his Mom cook him a delicious breakfast filled with nutrients to 'help him recover quickly'.

All Harry could tell was that it smelled incredible and made his mouth water, so his hospital food was tossed happily out the window. It was just a brief visit before the nurses rushed them out, though Harry didn't understand why. He had a sinking feeling it had to do with Naruto being there.

Even Raido came to visit, though Harry assumed the reason was to get a good look at Luna and flirt with the nurses. It was a nice gesture, even though his intentions were less than pure. He had looked a little disappointed that Luna wasn't in the room but cheered up considerably when he saw the pretty nurse who came in to check Harry's vitals one last time. He ruffled Harry's hair and winked before following the nurse out the door.

Harry spent his lunch gazing out the window, eating the last remnants of Chouji's wonderful food and wishing he were out of the hospital and beginning to practice his magic again. He had promised Kakashi that he wouldn't start training his bloodline until he was fully recovered and cleared by the hospital, but his boredom and anticipation was making it very difficult to keep his word.

Kakashi swept in for a brief moment to tell him that he and Genma were helping Luna move into the vacant apartment. Harry's heart swelled at the thought of having all the people he cared about living under the same roof. It was almost like the dormitory again. His thoughts wandered to his old dormitory, with the wonderful people he would never see again. Ron and Hermione's faces flashed very vividly in his mind, and it took everything he had not to burst into tears.

Later that afternoon, Harry had more surprise visitors. Sasuke came in nervously, clutching his older brother's hand.

"Hi Hari," he said softly. He glanced up at his brother and was nudged closer to the bed. He held out a bento.

"I made this for you so you can get better soon," he said shyly, his cheeks turning pink with embarrassment. Harry grasped the bento tenderly while beaming at the boy in front of him.

"Thanks, Sasuke, it's perfect. The food here is terrible, so this will be a great dinner!" He set the bento on the side of the bed and reached over to give Sasuke a hug, which the boy grudgingly accepted. Sasuke leaned back immediately, straightening his shirt and Harry couldn't help but grin.

"So, who is this with you?" Harry asked, peering over at an older but eerily similar version of Sasuke.

"This is my nii-san, Itachi. He's already a chunnin," Sasuke said, puffing up his chest proudly.

Harry studied Itachi. While on the surface he looked like a normal boy, Itachi's eyes reflected a pain that Harry himself knew all too well: eyes that had seen too much battle and bloodshed. Beyond that, Harry sensed an overwhelming power radiating softly from him.

"It's nice to finally meet the young boy who has caught my otouto's attention," Itachi remarked, causing Sasuke to blush.

"Nii-san!"

"It's very nice to meet you Itachi-san. I'm sorry it wasn't under more pleasant circumstances." Harry gestured at his hospital room.

"How did you end up in the hospital?" Itachi inquired.

"Well, it seems I've come into my bloodline, and I was a little stupid about trying to use it before my body was ready. But I'm perfectly fine now!"

"What kind of bloodline is it?" Sasuke asked eagerly.

"I'm not exactly sure yet, but my sister arrived at the village just in time and is going to help me learn how to use it."

"When will you be able to leave?" Sasuke asked.

"Tomorrow morning, I think," Harry replied. "I'm more than ready to be out of the hospital and for everything to be back to normal!"

"Things will be anything but normal," Itachi commented lightly, and Harry felt a chill as if Itachi was referring to something he had not yet been informed of.

They left soon after, Itachi excusing them by saying they needed to be home for dinner. Harry pushed the comment to the back of his mind. Even if it had been weird, Itachi was still just a kid; there couldn't be any hidden meaning behind it, could there?

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"I'm free!" Harry exclaimed as he stepped out of the building. Kakashi gave him a tap on his head but couldn't hide his amusement.

"Luna, Genma, and Gai have been up all morning making you a surprise welcome home breakfast. Act surprised." The man warned.

Harry grinned happily at the thought of all these wonderful people he now called family taking the time to do something special for him. He glanced over at Kakashi. He was also grateful for the man telling him about it beforehand. He didn't like surprises much.

Harry enjoyed a wonderful breakfast with a mixture of local food and food he remembered from Hogwarts.

Luna began cleaning the dishes, and Genma jumped up to help her out. Harry started stacking plates before he was ushered quickly out of the room and told he wasn't allowed to help. Harry sat helplessly next to Kakashi and Gai as they watched the two clean the table.

Genma was exceedingly helpful, even ushering Luna away from the stacks of dishes in the sink, stating he could take care of the rest. Luna walked passed Harry with a dazed expression, and he heard her say, "Yes, he will do nicely." He shook his head, deciding to not even try to understand Luna's thought processes.

"So, my youthful friend, I am very happy to see you back at home!" Gai announced gleefully, patting Harry on the back, "and this means that we can also continue your training!"

"Gai, Hari needs to be careful using his chakra for now. He'll have to learn the basics of his bloodline before it will be safe for him to continue that kind of training." Kakashi interjected. He cast a worried look at Harry. Apparently not everyone believed he was completely healed.

"Ah, but the training of the body will not be hindered by this! I shall train you to be the fastest Academy student, or I will walk on my hands for a week!" Gai stood up dramatically and struck a pose that seemed to radiate light. Harry felt fear creeping into his skin as he thought of what awaited him in these training sessions.

Luna came waltzing into the conversation, seemingly out of nowhere.

"First, he will be learning the fine art of our bloodline. Though, I'm sure he will catch on quickly," Luna said, giving Harry a knowing grin. "No one can keep The Chosen One from doing what he wants to do."

Harry ignored the ninja's confused expressions and turned the subject to something entirely different.

"So I met an interesting ninja yesterday. He's my friend Sasuke's older brother…."

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"So, Harry, how does it feel?"

Harry arrived early the next morning at Luna's apartment to start practicing his magic once again. He could barely contain his excitement. They both decided to start his magic training safely inside Luna's new home, away from prying eyes until he achieved a certain amount of control. Itachi's ominous warning still rang uneasily in his mind.

It took a few minutes to call out his magic, but like riding a bike, it came back to him very quickly. It vibrated like an excited child who had been cooped up and was ready to burst outside to play.

Harry didn't respond, instead he increased the light coming from his palm and slowly levitated it to the ceiling. A sense of happiness, relief, and familiarity all flooded him at once as his magic cajoled him to practice some more. He cracked a smile and let out a bark of laughter, as if the magic itself was casting a tickling charm.

"Now, charms are going to be the easiest. Starting at the beginning might be annoying, but at least there won't be any winged keys attacking you this time." Luna said calmly.

"How'd you know about…?"

"Transfiguration will be the most difficult, and we probably will not attempt that until you have other subjects relearned."

Harry nodded and glanced over at Luna. She was lying backwards, dangling off the couch and fiddling with a string and a pebble while humming an unfamiliar tune.

"What are you doing?"

"Setting a trap."

Harry stared at her expectantly, but seeing that she wasn't going to elaborate, he turned around to continue his practice.

"Okay, now let's try another one," Harry muttered, and began locking and unlocking Luna's apartment door.

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"I need answers, Kakashi."

Kakashi nodded in agreement but remained silent. He sat in front of the Hokage's desk for the third time that week, all for the same reason: Hari.

"Hari and his sister are under scrutiny by some very powerful people. The rumors of the extremes the boy went through to inherit the bloodline has circulated. I need to know the extent of this bloodline limit in order to know how to protect them. There are some who would love to use a boy like Hari as a weapon for the sake of the village."

The Hokage pulled out his pipe, placed the tip to his mouth, and lit it. The smell of smoke always seemed to calm him. Small circles of smoke drifted lazily up to the ceiling.

"Sir, what happens if this bloodline is as powerful as you believe?"

"Then, my dear boy, you will need to train him to be the strongest shinobi possible and take care of him to the best of your ability. Help him to find allies in the village so he will have support when he needs it most. Hari will need all the help he can get."

Kakashi stood up and bowed. As he approached the door, he turned to give a final statement before swiftly departing. "I will protect him. I will do whatever it takes."

Kakashi could feel the Hokage's smile for a long time afterward.

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End Chapter 10

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Well next chapter Harry goes to the Academy! I'd love to hear what people think will happen there. Shout outs to anyone that guesses correctly!

Thanks so much for reading and staying this this story! I promise I will be updating faster than normal after this!

-EmLights

(p.s. Pairings! I have one or two in mind, but I'm interested in what you guys think.)


	11. Chapter 11: The Academy

Hello everyone!

Here is chapter 11!

Thanks as always to my amazing beta Orodruin. You are awesome.

Enjoy!

-EmLights

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The Next Great Adventure

"To the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure" – Albus Dumbledore (HPSS, Chapter 17)

Chapter 11: The Academy

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Starting school in the middle of April was an uncommon occurrence, but the Hokage assured Harry that he would be fine. He dutifully filled out the appropriate paperwork the night before he was set to start, but one question made him frown.

He made his excuses to Kakashi and headed down the hall to visit Luna, because his sister "knew" their last name. Luna blinked at him with a puzzled expression when he explained his dilemma.

"I thought we should use the last name of the man who gave us his bloodline," he explained slowly, "But I don't know what his name is."

"But, Harry, there aren't any nargles here to tell me who our benefactor is, so we are going to have to figure out that information on our own," Luna replied. "For now, you still need a last name so you can attend school."

Harry sighed, "I guess we can try to do some research later on. It would be nice to know who this man really is, even if we can't use his name for now. Did you want to use your last name for now…?"

The girl smiled. "Lovegood Harry," she said, "That's a funny name. No, Harry, I think we should stick with your name."

Harry couldn't help but grin, imagining his guardian struggling over the name "Lovegood." He nodded, "You're right, Potter will be easier." Leaning over the paperwork, he carefully filled in his own surname.

"You'd better get some rest now," Luna advised him, when he finished, "If you don't, the poxiduds are likely to cling to you all day tomorrow, and you'll be sluggish and tired on your first day."

"There's no way I can sleep now!" Harry replied. "I'm way too excited!" It was almost as exciting as his first day at Hogwarts had been, and just remembering the magical time he'd had there, he couldn't help but look forward to what tomorrow would bring.

Eventually, Kakashi dragged him back to their apartment to get to bed, and Harry's young body betrayed him, falling quickly to sleep with the dreams the Konoha Ninja Academy engaging him until the morning.

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A huge grin was plastered on his face, and no amount of teasing from his friends could lessen it. Chouji and Shikamaru walked alongside him, amplifying Harry's joy on this momentous occasion. Kakashi strolled leisurely behind the trio, his nose buried in his beloved orange novel.

What amazing things would he learn on his first day? Harry couldn't even fathom the knowledge that would come from a shinobi school. Sure, he was taking lessons from Kakashi, Gai, and Genma, but those were unorthodox. This would be structured learning, just like Hogwarts, with teachers, a syllabus, and a classroom full of kids wanting to learn.

"My mom packed a lunch for all of us, so come find me during your break," Chouji said excitedly through a mouthful of chips.

"Oh, that sounds great, Chouji. Thanks!" Harry replied, throwing his larger friend a smile.

"School is boring. And we still have four more years left until graduation," Shikamaru grumbled.

"Not me! I'm going to be just like Kakashi and graduate in a year." Harry turned to see Kakashi nod at him approvingly.

"I remember you mentioning that before. With all the training you've done, I'll be surprised if you don't graduate early." Shikamaru placed his hands behind his head and sighed. "All that hard work would be too troublesome."

"That's just cause you're lazy!" Harry responded jokingly, causing the three of them to burst into laughter. He was so thankful for his two friends. No one could ever fill the void of losing Ron and Hermione, but they were slowly becoming just as precious.

Kakashi pulled him aside as they arrived outside the Academy, allowing Shikamaru and Chouji to wave goodbye and enter by themselves.

"Now, I know this is your first day and that you are very excited but take this just in case." Kakashi handed him a large book called "_Stealth and Strategy_."

"In case what?" Harry asked with confusion.

Kakashi replied with an enigmatic, "You'll see," before giving him a quick pat on the head and ushering him inside.

It turned out Kakashi was right.

The Academy started out just fine. Harry entered the room slowly, his childish nerves creeping through him. The classroom had about a dozen students, all about two years older than him, already inside chatting and laughing. He slid into a chair toward the back silently, deciding to observe the students rather than join in for now.

"Hey, there's a new kid," one of the girls said, pointing and giggling softly to her friend.

"Aw, for being so little, he's kinda cute," the friend replied, and that started another reaction of giggles from the two girls.

_Please, please, don't let there be any fan girls here_, Harry thought, his mind wandering back to his Triwizard Tournament days, and he shuddered.

Finally, the last of the students came wandering in, along with their chuunin instructor.

"Good morning class. Whoever didn't do their homework will be running extra laps after school." A few of the kids groaned, while the others handed their papers in diligently.

"We have a new student today. Hari?" He gestured for him to stand, which Harry promptly did.

"This is Potter Hari, who will be joining our class. Hari, I am Fujioka Koh. Now class, Hari is only five, but he has been training under Hatake Kakashi so he should be able to fit into our class easily. I have very high expectations for you." Harry nodded, but felt uneasy as a few of the students turned to glare at him.

Harry's new sensei then began a lecture on Shinobi rule number 12: "A shinobi must be able to blend in to their surroundings." After the first five minutes, Harry had a strong urge to bang his head against the table. How the man could take a simple shinobi rule and expand it to an entire lecture was beyond him.

Genma taught him all the shinobi rules within a few days, and even turned the lectures into exciting days of putting each rule into practice and annoying Kakashi at the same time. The lesson about shinobi blending into their surroundings started out with them being hunted down by Kakashi's nin-dogs. Genma and Harry were both found much later in a mud pit, where the dogs happily joined in. Genma even pulled Kakashi into the pit, and the nin-dogs joyously attacked him with mud-covered kisses. Their summoner was not impressed.

He grinned to himself as he thought about those lessons before his attention turned back to the boring lecture at hand. His eyes rested on the very thoughtful gift Kakashi had handed to him that morning.

He pulled "_Stealth and Strategy_" from under his desk and began to read the first chapter, _How to Cover Your Tracks_. He was deeply engrossed in a chapter about hiding your scent when the sensei said his name loudly.

"Er, sorry, Sensei, can you repeat that?" Harry asked, causing a few of his classmates to snicker.

"I said, since this lecture doesn't seem to interest you, could you explain to me how you would blend into your surroundings?"

"Well, since I do not have the knowledge of jutsu that would help me blend in, I would use the surrounding foliage, which is an advantage of living in the Land of Fire. Also, I'd use a breathing technique to quiet the sounds of my breath and stay completely still." He paused, tilting his head thoughtfully.

"Even then, at my level I am unable to hide my chakra or my scent, which could allow me to be found, if the person seeking me is chuunin level or above. I would wear dark colored clothing and even use mud to allow me to blend in to my surroundings, depending on how deep into the forest we are, the weather, and the time of day. Being outside a forest would be much more difficult, and I do not have the experience or knowledge to accomplish that just yet."

"Very good," Fujioka-sensei said reluctantly. "I assume you've already been familiarized with the Shinobi Rules, then?" Harry nodded, ignoring the murmurings of his classmates.

"I see. Well then, carry on with your reading, and try not to be disruptive while I finish this lecture." Harry nodded again and buried his nose back into the book, interested to see how he could find a way to hide his scent.

After two hours of lecture, the class went outside for target practice. Harry excitedly bounded outside, prepared to finally learn something new. They were all handed shuriken that upon further inspection turned out to be quite dull.

"Now class, aim towards the targets. Let's see if anyone is able to land three hits in a row."

So Harry stood back and watched, unimpressed as childproof shuriken were thrown haphazardly across the grounds. He quickly became very thankful for their dullness, considering how many times he was accidently hit by stray weapons. He was growing increasingly annoyed by the lack of skill these children had, and also for the lack of challenge he was faced with.

He stared at the fake shuriken in his hand, wondering what he was doing there. This was not how he imagined the Academy to be like at all. He wanted to be challenged, not babied.

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While Harry was struggling through his first week, Luna was on a mission. She finally spotted her final destination, a flower shop, and walked in. She was looking for two specific ingredients, ginseng and ambrosia, which were essential for the animagus potion and the last ones she needed.

The potion was simple enough to make. When imbued with the drinker's own magic, the potion leads them into a meditative state, where they are able to find their animal form. Once the form is revealed, the real studying begins.

"Hello there, how can I help you?" a pretty blonde lady asked her kindly.

"I'm looking for ginseng and ambrosia," Luna replied while taking in the beauty of the flowers surrounding the inside of the shop.

"Hmm, unusual order, but yes I think we have those in the back garden. One moment please." As the woman left the room, Luna continued her observation of the different plants.

Beautiful roses, irises, and hydrangeas filled the front of the shop with a wonderful melody of colors and fragrances. Lavender, tulips, lotus, and azaleas were others she recognized, nestled cheerfully among plants and flowers she didn't even know the names for. She also spotted her favorite flower, the sunflower, off in a corner.

"Not as exciting as the plants in Greenhouse Three, but still. This is acceptable," she whispered to no one in particular. She couldn't help but grab a small bouquet of sunflowers to add to her purchase.

"Here you are my dear!" the woman said with a smile, after returning from the back room. She handed her a small package.

"Oh, and some sunflowers as well? An excellent choice. My name is Yamanaka Hanako, by the way."

"It's a pleasure, Yamanaka Hanako. My name is Potter Luna." Luna took the package and held out her other hand. Hanako shook her hand, grinning.

"Anything else I can help you with today?"

"Actually yes, there is something else."

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Harry went to the Academy instructors' office after his first week at the academy ended, as his sensei instructed. It had been a week of absolute boredom, the only part of the day he enjoyed was lunch time with his friends. At least they didn't look at him with envy every time he was able to answer a question correctly.

"Ah, so you must be little Potter-kun," a young woman with cropped purple hair said as he entered the room.

"That's me." Harry delicately chose to ignore the "little" comment.

"So, it appears your sensei has requested you to be advanced to a more experienced class," she stated, looking at the report in front of her.

Harry was elated.

"Yes, please! I'll do anything!"

"Hmm." She stared at him for a moment, before handing him a small stack of papers. "These are just a few questions I want you to answer to see where to place you. I'm not going to give you a physical test, so if you move to a higher class and can't keep up, that's all on you."

Harry grinned and started immediately on the test in front of him. Thirty minutes later, he turned in the papers to the surprised chuunin.

She cleared her throat before saying, "Come into the office in the morning so I can send you to your new classroom."

"Yes ma'am!" Harry replied happily before practically skipping out of the office.

"Cheeky brat," the chuunin grumbled to herself before starting to grade the papers in front of her.

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He walked out of the building only to run right into Sasuke.

"Hello."

"Hey Sasuke, you waiting on someone?"

"Well, I was waiting on Niisan to pick me up, but it seems something has come up again." Sasuke tried to hide his disappointment by changing the subject.

"How was your first week at the Academy, Hari?"

"Very boring," Harry said with a sigh. Sasuke patted Harry consolingly on the back.

"I remember how slow the first year was. It gets better in the more advanced classes."

"Yeah, I'm hoping so! Oh, no, that reminds me, I have training with Kakashi now. He's gonna kill me if I'm late." Harry was about to take off running before thinking of a great idea. "You should come and train with me! Kakashi mentioned he wanted to meet you anyways so this would be great."

Sasuke hesitated for a brief second before nodding.

"That would be acceptable," he said, trying to hide a smile that tugged on his lips.

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"Hmm." Kakashi put a hand on his chin thoughtfully as he stared at the two boys. Sasuke fidgeted nervously under the scrutiny while Harry just grinned.

"Since there are two of you today, how about a spar?" Kakashi suggested, noticing the gleam in their eyes as the two boys agreed eagerly. "But this won't be a normal spar. You two will be working together. The objective of this spar is for one of you to land a hit on me."

"What are the restrictions?" Harry asked, as Sasuke looked at him warily.

"Taijutsu only for now," Kakashi answered. "Depending on the outcome of this spar, I will be deciding whether your taijutsu is at a sufficient level to begin ninjutsu training or not." Harry's eyes lit up.

"Come with me when the spar begins," he whispered to Sasuke. Kakashi watched with a hidden grin at the two conversing in hushed tones.

"If you are ready," Kakashi announced, "then let's begin." Harry rushed into the woods to the left with Sasuke dutifully following.

"So they are going to plan an attack." Kakashi observed approvingly as the two disappearing into the forest. "This should be interesting."

Sasuke pulled at Harry's sleeve when they had gone far enough into the woods.

"Why do we have to work together just to land a hit? That should be easy."

"Kakashi is a Jounin, Sasuke. He is tougher than he looks. Which is why we need to make a plan if we want to win this spar." Sasuke looked skeptical, but nodded for Harry to continue.

"Since we both are about the same level, you should probably be the one to attempt the hit since you are taller and have a longer reach." Harry crouched down, closing his eyes in thought.

"So this means I'll be the distraction." He snapped his eyes open. "Here's what I think we should do…."

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Both boys burst out of the trees at the same time, charging their target. Harry went for the left side, as Sasuke took the right. Their synchronized attacks forced Kakashi to jump out of the way.

"I'll get you this time, Kakashi!" Harry yelled, charging once more. He swung his fist towards Kakashi's chest and then planted his hands on the ground, sweeping his legs low, trying to catch one of Kakashi's legs with his own. Sasuke fell into his own taijutsu style, following a jab with a cross with an uppercut and failing to connect with any of them.

Kakashi merely dodged the swings, not even making an attempt to fight back. Harry growled, circling his target to give himself a second to catch his breath before launching another attack at the man's back. Kakashi caught his fist and used the momentum to toss him over his shoulder, forcing Sasuke to dodge to one side.

"Sasuke, just stop! You aren't helping at all! I can do this without you!" Harry shouted in frustration.

The announcement startled Harry's guardian. _When did Hari get so cold?_

Sasuke shot him an angry look. "Humph. Fine! I'll just watch you fail then!"

Sasuke pulled back for a moment, watching angrily. Harry continued to circle and tried to find an opening. He threw a punch at the man's blind side, followed a jab up with a roundhouse, and then launched himself into a flying sidekick behind the man's back. Kakashi blocked or dodged everything he threw at him with a bored expression, and Harry displayed an increasing frustration with each failure.

"Hari, you must remember that teamwork is very important when fighting a stronger opponent," Kakashi chided softly.

"I know, I know, but I want to be the one to land the hit, not him! I don't want any help!" Harry rushed at him again, but this time he leapt over Kakashi, dropping smoke bombs on his way down. He twisted in midair, flinging himself into a butterfly kick. Kakashi instinctively jumped away from his charge to avoid the attacks heading his way. A second too late he realized another attack was coming from the other direction. Sasuke's fist barely clipped his shoulder as he twisted to avoid the hit. He landed with a skid and saw two grinning boys through the dissipating smoke.

"Great job Sasuke!" Harry said ecstatically. "You did it perfectly!

"Hn, I still only grazed him," Sasuke replied, his modesty unable to hide a triumphant smirk.

Kakashi stood and rubbed his head thoughtfully.

"That was a good plan boys. Make your opponent think you are disagreeing and use it to your advantage." He patted both the boys on the head.

"It wouldn't have been so easy if I had actively attacked, but for academy students using only taijutsu, that was very good. Your taijutsu still needs some work, but I think you are proficient enough to begin ninjutsu training."

"Yes!" Harry jumped on Kakashi excitedly before doing the same to a surprised Sasuke. "Thanks for your help Sasuke! I couldn't have done this without you!"

"If you'd like to join his morning training, you are more than welcome," Kakashi stated casually. "It would be good for Hari to have a sparring partner closer to his age."

Sasuke's genuine smile was answer enough.

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Harry walked into the Academy to find out what the verdict was for his class change. The purple haired chuunin was again sitting at the desk.

"Hello again, shrimp," the chuunin said smugly. Harry bristled but nodded his head respectfully.

"Well, it seems that you scored high enough to join a more experienced class." Harry grinned. "But don't blame me if you can't play with the big boys," she added pointedly. "I still think putting such a small kid into this class is a bad idea."

"I'll do my best," Harry stated firmly.

Her features were doubtful as she handed him a paper with his new class assignment. "Room 6 is where your new class is located. Don't be late."

"Thanks!" Harry grinned and took off, excited that finally, he might be on his way to following his guardian's footsteps.

_Kakashi, I won't let you down!_

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QUESTION: For all of my readers, what do you think Luna's animagus should be? I have a few ideas but I'm curious to see what you guys think! I'm leaning towards making it a flying animal, as I alluded to in previous chapters, but I'm open to anything.

Thanks for reading! If you'd like, please leave a review and let me know what you think!

-EmLights


	12. Chapter 12: Academy Issues

By the way, Harry has no pairing right now nor will he for a good while. There are definitely going to be pairings, some showing up pretty soon, but Harry will not be one of them. I don't know what I'm going to do with him exactly, but that will be for way into the future!

But you can still give me ideas for pairings you'd like to see later on with Harry! Who would you like to see Harry with?

Here is chapter 12, enjoy!

-EmLights

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The Next Great Adventure

"To the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure" – Albus Dumbledore (HPSS, Chapter 17)

Chapter 12: Academy Issues

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Harry entered the room with bated breath. The sensei nodded expectantly toward him, but the much older kids in the room stared at him with confusion. His small hope of joining his friends' class dwindled with unfamiliar faces surrounding him. The class seemed to be the ages of ten or eleven, so his small stature stood out like a sore thumb.

Without missing a beat, he strode into the room confidently and took an empty seat in the front row next to a boy whose face was half hidden with a high collar and glasses. He determinedly kept his face forwards so he didn't see the annoyed antics of the older students.

"This is Potter Hari. It seems his test scores placed him in the top class; although," the sensei peered over him derisively, "we'll just have to see how he fares with the other aspects of the class." A few sniggers were heard in the back of the room, but Harry did not give them the satisfaction of a response.

"I am Tanaka Aito. Do not disappoint me." And with that, Aito Sensei continued his lecture.

The lecture on chakra was simple but interesting. Harry loved hearing different explanations of chakra; it was remarkable to compare them alongside his own experiences with magic. Although they were both contained inside the body, chakra was pulled through hand signs or seals, whereas magic was channeled with a wand or, in more advanced ways, through a person's hands. With both, the way of casting was determined also through the intent and will of the caster.

"Alright class, I want us to begin practice with our illusionary clones." The entire class stood up to stand in front of their sensei. Harry found himself on the very edge, barely able to see the teacher from behind an unnaturally large student.

"Let's go over the hand signs for Bunshin No Jutsu in case our new student does not know or if any of you have forgotten. Remember; Ram, Snake, Tiger," Aito sensei stated as he went through the hand signs. Harry, who had not tried this technique before, dutifully copied his new sensei and practiced a few more times to have it down. The rather brawny student in front of him gave an exaggerated yawn and snuck a peak at Harry.

"This is easy stuff sensei! If the shrimp still needs to learn this, he should go to a lower class." The boy grinned at the few laughs his comment created.

"Well Taichi, since you find this so elementary, why don't you demonstrate your bunshin first."

"Tsk, fine," the boy called Taichi said as he swaggered in front of the class. He flew through the hand signs quickly.

"Bunshin No Jutsu!" he yelled, and a replica of himself appeared right beside him.

"Very good," Aito Sensei stated dully. "Now class, line up each of you will try the jutsu."

One by one, the class attempted the jutsu. Most were able to create a successful clone of his or herself, whereas a couple had a few imperfections. One plain looking civilian with fiery red hair was unable to make even a basic form of a clone. Her face turned as red as her hair as the other girls in the class pointed and giggled behind their hands.

Harry felt bad for the girl but was too nervous about his own performance of the clone jutsu to dwell on it just then. The girl looked close to tears but rained it in as the next student took her place.

Then suddenly it was Harry's turn.

He quickly went over everything he knew about the clone jutsu in his head as he stood before his new sensei. _Visualize your body, your hair, your height. Notice every detail, every imperfection. Every physical trait you possess should be reflected in the clone. _His readings made it seem simple enough, but without the familiarity with his own chakra, Harry wasn't so sure.

He made the correct hand signs, as he channeled his chakra like he had practiced with his chakra exercises. He let it flow as he would his own magic while casting a spell. "Bunshin No Jutsu!" he called out, his eyes shut tight, as he visualized himself as best he could.

Laughter erupted in the classroom as he opened his eyes the peek over at his clone. Though some of his facial features were a little blurry, the clone in question had the same hair, skin, and even his scar on the forehead. The problem was the clone stood two feet taller with much broader shoulders than his own miniature body. He had tried to make a clone of his old self.

"Little shrimp wants to be taller then, huh?" The boy named Taichi barked out, and even the sensei chuckled before clearing his throat.

"So it seems some of us need to be a bit more aware of what their actual bodies look like before attempting this again." Harry flushed in anger and embarrassment. The anger was mostly directed at himself, for allowing his mind to visualize glimpses of his past instead of his present self.

He moved out of the way for the next student, ignoring the jeers from Taichi. All his hard work and dedication faded into the background as he made himself look ridiculous after only a few hours in his new classroom.

_This can never happen again_, he thought firmly. _To make everyone take me seriously as a shinobi, I'll just have to rise to the top and force everyone to see me as a capable ninja regardless of my size. _

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Harry sat on the couch in Luna's apartment meditating. Luna suggested they continue practicing occlumency, even if the chance of it being effective against any jutsu was slim. He saw the logic in the suggestion but also had his own reasons for wanting to meditate. Harry had begun to feel blank spots in his memory. He knew the fates had said he would lose some of his past memories briefly, but he did not like the feeling of missing something important. Even if the loss is only temporary.

He did not mention anything to Luna; she did not need to know of his memory loss just yet.

Regardless of his reasons, meditating was also a way for Harry to clear his mind, and after his ruinous day, he needed it.

Luna was also meditating, though her way of meditation consisted of her doing headstands and humming to a song eerily similar to God Save the Queen.

Harry, frustrated and unable to fall into a meditative state, opened his eyes and sighed heavily. As if on queue, Luna righted herself and stretched like she was waking up from a great nap.

"So where did Kakashi head off to this time?" Luna asked as she continued to stretch, now going through her routine yoga poses.

"He is somewhere in Suna I think with Genma. They had to deliver a message, but that was all he was allowed to tell me. I think he said they would be back sometime next week."

Whenever Kakashi went out on a mission, Harry stayed with Luna, and they practiced spells in the comfort of Luna's living room. Harry was still trying to figure out how to work his magic into his fighting without making himself a huge target. His control over his magic was slowly increasing, and he was able to perform most spells from first through third year with ease.

"Tomorrow Gai gave me the day off from training after the Academy, so we will be able to start brewing the potion and find out your animagus then." Whenever he takes over Harry's training sessions, Gai always gives him a day off to have 'youthful family time with his sister'. And since having an animal transformation was taken as part of their bloodline, they were both very eager to start Luna's training.

Harry was startled to see Luna shake her head. "But I thought you found all the ingredients?"

"I did, but I won't be available tomorrow." Harry waited for her to elaborate, but when she gave no indication, he asked, "What is going on tomorrow?"

"I'll be starting my first day at work," she answered, before sighing dreamily. "It's no fanged geranium or mimbulus mimbletonia, but I'm sure I'll be able to find some plants that are interesting enough."

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Harry struggled through the rest of the week at the Academy. It seemed that Taichi was even more of a bully than Dudley and found Harry as the perfect victim. It wasn't as embarrassing as Harry Hunting, but Harry was very thankful when Kakashi came home.

"Kakashi, I need you to bump up my training!" Harry cried as soon as he walked into Luna's apartment.

"Hello Kakashi, how was your trip?" Luna said as she hummed over the stove.

"It went smoothly. Only one run in with missing nin, but they were easily taken care of." Kakashi sat on the couch next to his charge and peered over at him.

"And what happened that is making you want to increase your training?"

"Because…." Harry trailed off, embarrassed. He didn't want Kakashi to be displeased with him. A nudged elbow made him continue.

"I messed up with the Bunshin No Jutsu during my first day with the new class," Harry admitted. "My clone was too tall and now I'm getting made fun of even more for being so little, and no one in the class takes me seriously."

Kakashi just stared at him for a moment. "Was there anything else wrong with your clone other than the height?"

Harry, who was ready to hear a disappointed response, was taken aback by the question. "Well, I think the face may have been a little blurry, but other than that, no."

"Hmm. Well, you have nothing to be ashamed of. We haven't gone over that jutsu, and the fact that you made a clone in the first place is remarkable. It usually takes people weeks to create a clone that looks any way human and then even longer to make the clones a replica of themselves."

Harry rubbed his eyes, cursing his five-year-old emotions. Kakashi patted his head fondly.

"If it means anything, I'm very proud how far you've come. If you want, we can still get into more difficult training. We'll make those other kids take you seriously." Harry buried his face under Kakashi's arm.

"Thanks," he muttered simply. Harry pondered briefly if this is what it would have been like growing up with his parents. It was odd having a father figure to talk to about his childish problems with school.

"So Kakashi, you're staying for dinner correct?" Luna asked, and Harry jumped, almost forgetting the blonde witch was in the room.

"Maa, I guess I could do that." Harry grinned up at him.

"Perfect, because it's just about ready." Luna had already set out four plates and was starting to lay the food out on the table.

"Er, Luna there's only three of us," Harry remarked as he helped fill the table.

"Oh yes, just a moment," Luna sang, as she walked out the door. Kakashi and Harry stared at each other in confused silence before the door opened back up. A disheveled Genma was dragged in and seated in the fourth spot. Although he looked a bit perplexed, Genma was elated to be there.

"Well, erm, hello everyone." Harry laughed as he sat down next to him. This was just what he needed after his struggles at the Academy. He looked around happily at his wonderful, dysfunctional family. With this family of his, he could make it through anything.

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Harry stirred the potion delicately.

It was after dinner, and Kakashi and Genma had left to meet with some other jounin for a few drinks. More like Gai invited both Genma and Kakashi, and Harry all but pushed them out saying they needed to have fun every once in a while.

It was a perfect time for them to finally discover Luna's animagus form.

"One more minute and it's finished," Harry said, looking over at the clock to make sure. Luna looked uncharacteristically nervous as her eyes locked onto the potion.

"There," Harry said, pulling the rod out of the potion, "it's perfect." The light blue liquid shimmered as a large spoon scooped some of the potion into a cup. He handed the cup over to the blonde, who accepted it carefully.

"Once you drink this, you'll go into a meditative state and find your form. This is the part that differs depending on the drinker. In my experience, I found myself in a dark forest surrounded by massive trees and the wolves found me. I've heard some people have to go searching for their form, which is why this can be quick or take a very long time."

The statement of 'some people never find their form' went unsaid, even though they both knew it was a possibility.

Luna stared at her cup before downing it in one gulp. Her breathing slowed as she successfully started meditating.

Harry cleaned up the potion and supplies as he waited anxiously for Luna to wake up. He kept a close eye on her in case something went wrong.

About fifteen minutes later, Luna groggily started to open her eyes.

"How did it go?" Harry asked cautiously as she smiled over at him.

"I ended up at Hogwarts," she said with a dreamy look. Harry felt a pang of jealousy before pushing it back. He knew they both missed their home terribly and should be thankful Luna got to see it once more.

"The school was empty but still exactly like I remembered. I wandered a while but didn't find anything. There weren't even any nargles floating around, which is very odd for Hogwarts." Harry grinned.

"Yes that is very odd indeed."

"Then an owl flew past me, directing me toward the west of the castle. I passed Ravenclaw, but the portrait must have been visiting some friends so I couldn't get in." Harry could see the brief sadness in her eyes before she continued.

"The owl lead me to the West Tower, and I ended up in the Owlery. It was filled with hundreds of owls, all watching me quietly. I felt drawn to one in particular who was huddled up in a corner. This tiny owl with big beautiful eyes stared so intently at me, and I just knew. I reached out and held him, and then… it was over."

"An owl, huh." Harry grinned. "Sounds just perfect for you."

"Yes, I'm very happy with an owl. A fwooper would have been fun as well, but causing people to go insane if they heard me sing would not be very pleasant. And I do love to sing."

Harry hummed in agreement, and then clapped his hands together.

"And now that you found your form, the real fun begins!"

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Harry's new regimen of training started out the very next day. He warmed up with Kakashi in the morning and trained until it was time for the Academy. On some mornings, Gai would join them and start competitions that would result in Harry dragging his exhausted body to class. He was still picked on, but his resolve was unwavering. He would become the top rookie and prove that he could do this.

At night, he would join Luna and practice magic for about an hour or so during what Kakashi knew as "sibling bonding time." Harry would practice his magic, which was now up to fourth year spells, and Luna would work on her animagus transformation.

Doing some research lead to her finding out the owl was a collared owlet, or _Glaucidium brodiei_. She also began to study intensely the anatomy of owls to know exactly how her animagus form is supposed to be inside and out. Animagus transformations are difficult, and the only proof of her hard work was the shape of her eyes and a few small feathers covering her face.

Harry's favorite part of the day was still eating lunch with Shikamaru, Chouji, and Naruto. After finding out that Naruto ate only cup ramen for lunch, he started packing a second bento for his very loud friend. After that, Naruto started calling him Otouto. Harry decided he didn't mind at all.

Sasuke joined his afternoon training sessions almost every day. Together, he and Harry were both improving rapidly. Sasuke's tai-jutsu was still superior to Harry's, if only because of his longer reach. Their speed and agility was already well past any of their peers and even beyond some of the younger genins. With projectiles, Harry excelled with moving targets while Sasuke had scary accuracy with stationary ones.

With all of the extra training, running Kakashi's 'fit test' was now a breeze for them both. To make things more difficult, Kakashi now began to run through the trail as well firing kunai, shuriken, and other random weapons for them to dodge while completing the course. Harry felt that Kakashi took a little too much joy in his role during this particular training.

On top of the other lessons, with the approval of Sasuke's father, Kakashi began teaching them both the three Academy jutsus: Henge, Bunshin, and Kawarimi.

Harry now was prepared for anything the Academy could throw at him.

Sasuke's brother sometimes would come to pick him up after their training. Itachi was always very quiet and polite and seemed to know Kakashi very well. He seemed very concerned in his brother's welfare and would discuss Kakashi's lesson plans with him whenever he arrived. Sasuke would always light up when his brother appeared and spout about everything he had learned that day.

Itachi was an enigma, and Harry wasn't sure what to think of him. Unbeknownst to Harry, Itachi felt the same way about him.

On one day in particular, Itachi came to pick up his brother and seemed a little distracted.

"Nii-san!" Sasuke yelled happily, running toward his brother. "Kakashi says Harry and I are both ready to be genin already!" He gestured Harry to come over as if to prove it was true.

"Is that so little Otouto," Itachi replied, making eye contact with Kakashi and nodded. "Well then you should one day be able to surpass even me." Sasuke was unable to hide his smugness from his brother's comment.

"Now give this to Kakashi and we can head home. Kaa-san made these in appreciation for this extra training."

Harry watched as Sasuke went to hand over the gift and thank Kakashi and was startled when Itachi leaned over to Harry and whispered, "Be wary of the hawk hidden in the roots. He is watching you."

Harry spun around to ask what that meant, only to find that Itachi had moved over to his brother and ushered them quickly away.

Kakashi waved a hand in front of Harry, who had been staring off after the departure of the two brothers.

"Mikoto's famous cookies," Kakashi said, gesturing to the box. "This is definitely a treat. Not many get to taste her wonderful desserts."

As they headed back to the apartment, Harry pondered over Itachi's warning. He had no idea what that meant, only that he needed to be careful.

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End Chapter 12

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Time skip soon! There will be a time-skip happening in the next few chapters, so those of you that think this story is going a big too slow, it will be speeding up soon.

And next chapter… Do you think the Uchiha massacre will happen, yes or no? I'm interested to see what you guys think.

Please review and let me know what you think!

-EmLights


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